Club Spotlight
Sam Hawthorn finds that one of the greatest club grounds is at the forefront of change
We look at one of the most famous club’s in England – Scarborough
Scarborough CC have a rich history of top quality cricket at their home ground, North Marine Road, with county and international sides alike gracing the hallowed turf – not to mention the great WG Grace appearing in 1870.
Since forming in 1849, Scarborough has hosted countless firstclass games with Yorkshire using North Marine Road as a second home, as well as two ODIs in the Seventies.
But their quality is not limited to the facilities, with opening batsman Adam Lyth the latest star to rise through the club ranks to represent Yorkshire more than 300 times across all formats, and England in seven Test matches.
And Lyth returns to his boyhood club year on year when Yorkshire headline Scarborough’s annual cricket festival, which attracts approximately 5,000 people to revel in the first-class game.
In years gone by, the festival has seen legends such as Grace and Don Bradman make appearances.
The festival has been running for 131 years but Scarborough secretary Colin Adamson – who has been in the role since 1982 – has even bigger visions for the club, who are seeking to expand their women’s section as well as overseeing a 1st XI competing in the ECB Yorkshire Premier League North.
“In terms of current players, Adam Lyth came through the club as a youngster to playing in our first team and then on to making his debut for Yorkshire and eventually playing Test cricket,” explained Adamson.
“Adam still has links with the club, although he rarely plays for us now because he is playing for Yorkshire and has visions of gaining a recall for England at some point.
“The club has changed significantly in the time I have been here and the most significant change has probably been in terms of the festival that we run each year.
“It is in its 131st year now but the festival has changed from how it had been – with matches played in true festival style disappearing. We still have a festival week but the cricket is only first-class county cricket.”
Adamson will see his club host Yorkshire twice this season, when they take on Somerset and Essex in the County Championship.
Having just two first-class contests marks a change from previous years, when Scarborough would host both white-ball and red-ball clashes involving the White Rose county.
Given its proximity to Headingley, just 70 miles to the north-east, North Marine Road has rightly established itself as a coastal second home for the 2015 county champions and Adamson admits it is a proud tradition.
“Since the advent of limited-overs cricket, we have more often than not had a combination of County Championship cricket and one-day cricket at the club,” he added.
“That has been the pattern for a number of years now but this year there is only County Championship cricket at Scarborough.”
And while the Scarborough punters can watch cricket at the highest level in the comfort of their own ground, there is a new project on the horizon for the club – sustaining a vibrant women’s team at both junior and senior level.
There are inevitably challenges when trying to build a successful women’s section at any club, but Adamson is convinced the increased coverage of the international game will help increase interest.
“We are starting a women’s section at Scarborough and we have had a lot of interest expressed and hopefully a team at either junior or senior level, or both, will be developed in the not too distant future,” he said.
“We will probably start with friendlies and then see if we can get a team into a league. It is certainly a vision that we have.
“Let’s not forget that women’s cricket has been around for many years but it has certainly not had the profile that it enjoys now.
“I think the increased uptake is more to do with the fact that nationally and internationally, women’s cricket is far more at the forefront than it ever has been.
“In the past, very rarely would you see women’s cricket on TV, that is happening more and more and obviously people see that and become interested.”
It is in its 131st year now but the festival has changed from how it had been – with matches played in true festival style disappearing