County Ground, Southampton

The County Ground was established in 1885 when Hampshire County Cricket Club moved from the Antelope Ground to a leased site on Northlands Road, part of the Hulse estate. The ground was officially opened on 9 May 1885 by Elizabeth, Countess of Northesk. The inaugural first-class match saw Hampshire play the Marylebone Cricket Club in June 1885. Hampshire lost their first-class status in 1886 but were restored in 1895, hosting their first County Championship match that same year. The Hampshire County Ground Company purchased the freehold in 1893 for £5,400. Southampton FC used the ground for high-profile football matches from 1896, including FA Cup ties, before moving to The Dell in 1898 due to the financial burden of rent and inadequate facilities. Hampshire continued playing cricket at the County Ground until the end of the 2000 season, after which the club relocated to the newly built Rose Bowl (now the Ageas Bowl) in West End. The Northlands Road site was subsequently demolished in 2001 and redeveloped for housing.

The ground was originally leased for just £160 annually. The first pavilion was built at a cost of £2,000, raised by supporters. Southampton FC played at the County Ground for only two seasons before moving to The Dell, with crowds of up to 12,000 attending matches. The future founder of football in Brazil, Charles Miller, played for Southampton St Mary's in a friendly at the ground in 1893. The ground hosted its first One Day International in 1983 and its last in 1999, during the Cricket World Cup. The two ends of the ground were known as the City End and the Northlands Road End.