| Old Trafford is
not only home to Manchester United Football Club; just
down the road from the Theatre of Dreams is another truly
great sports stadium – Old Trafford cricket
ground.
The ground is Lancashire County Cricket Club’s base
and also hosts many of England’s most important
matches.
Lancashire County Cricket Club has a rich history,
which is exhibited in the club museum at Old Trafford.
So take time out from watching a match or just pay a visit
to the ground to uncover the history and the honours that
have made the club so special.
Manchester Cricket Club was formed at the beginning of
the 1800's and moved to its present ground at Old Trafford
in 1857. It was renamed Lancashire County Cricket Club
in 1864 and you can view early team photographs, cricket
balls and scrapbooks at the museum. Also on show are some
of the finest trophies in the cricket world, including the County Championship honours of 1881
and 1904, and the Natwest Cup from 1990, 1996 and 1998.
Since the early days the team has won many different championship
and tournaments, the most recent being the Second Division
Championship in 2003.
But when the county club are not playing, there are still
matches taking place at Old Trafford, as is it a regular
ground for the England Cricket team. Many of their
top games have been played here including Test matches
against Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan.
Lancashire County Cricket Club also specialises in finding
the cricketing stars of tomorrow through the Lancashire
Cricket Academy.
Over a total of six hours top coaches test out the wannabe
cricket stars in a series of sessions including fitness
testing, fielding skills and net practice.
If you would rather be in the thick of the cricketing
action than sitting in the stand, there are plenty of
amateur and village cricket clubs always looking for new
team members. There are a number of different leagues
in the area including the Greater Manchester Amateur
Cricket League, Lancashire County League and the Saddleworth League.
But if you prefer brushing up your bowling skills than
playing in games why not hire a lane at the Old
Trafford Indoor Cricket Centre. Here you’ll
find five lanes with different surfaces to cater for all
types of bowling and they can be hired for family, junior,
or adult training sessions.
So whether you’re a spectator or a participant,
there’s plenty of cricket to keep you going in Manchester.
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