May's Bounty
Encyclopedia
May's Bounty is a cricket
ground in Basingstoke
, Hampshire
. The ground has a capacity of 4,500 spectators. The first recorded match on the ground was in 1880 which saw Basingstoke play a United South of England Eleven
. Hampshire first played a first class match at the Bounty, situated in Basingstoke
, in 1906. Since then the ground has hosted 45 first-class matches. The first one-day match to be played at May's Bounty was in the 1967 Gillette Cup where Hampshire played Lincolnshire
and has since played host to 31 one-day matches. The wicket has always had conditions favourable for seam bowling
, often producing low scoring affairs.
Robin Smith
holds the records for the best batting at the Bounty. He scored 977 runs at an average of 69.78 including no fewer than six centuries. He also recorded the county's highest individual score of 179 at the ground, against Northamptonshire
in 1996. Other Hampshire batsmen who prospered there were Mark Nicholas
and West Indian great Gordon Greenidge
. Cardigan Connor
took the most wickets at the ground.
At the end of the 2000 County Championship all remaining matches at the Bounty were moved to the Rose Bowl. But for the 2008 County Championship
the club reinstated the Bounty on the fixture list and it now plays host to one Championship match a season.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
ground in Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. The ground has a capacity of 4,500 spectators. The first recorded match on the ground was in 1880 which saw Basingstoke play a United South of England Eleven
United South of England Eleven
The United South of England Eleven was an itinerant cricket team founded in November 1864 by Edgar Willsher, as secretary, and John Lillywhite, as treasurer....
. Hampshire first played a first class match at the Bounty, situated in Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
, in 1906. Since then the ground has hosted 45 first-class matches. The first one-day match to be played at May's Bounty was in the 1967 Gillette Cup where Hampshire played Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire County Cricket Club
Lincolnshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs, which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Lincolnshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
and has since played host to 31 one-day matches. The wicket has always had conditions favourable for seam bowling
Seam bowling
Seam bowling is a phrase used for a bowling technique in cricket whereby the ball is deliberately bowled on to its seam, to cause a random deviation. Practitioners are known as seam bowlers or seamers....
, often producing low scoring affairs.
Robin Smith
Robin Smith (cricketer)
Robin Arnold Smith is a former cricketer for Hampshire and England.Smith was nicknamed Judge or Judgie for his resemblance to a judge when he grew his hair long...
holds the records for the best batting at the Bounty. He scored 977 runs at an average of 69.78 including no fewer than six centuries. He also recorded the county's highest individual score of 179 at the ground, against Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
in 1996. Other Hampshire batsmen who prospered there were Mark Nicholas
Mark Nicholas
Mark Charles Jefford Nicholas is a cricket commentator and former player. He played for Hampshire from 1978 to 1995, captaining them from 1985 to his retirement....
and West Indian great Gordon Greenidge
Gordon Greenidge
Cuthbert Gordon Greenidge MBE is a former member of the West Indies cricket team.Greenidge was an opening batsman for the West Indies. He began his Test career against India at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore in 1974 and continued playing internationally until 1991. He was half of the West...
. Cardigan Connor
Cardigan Connor
Cardigan Adolphus Connor is a Anguillan born former English cricketer. Connor was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast-medium bowler.-Career:...
took the most wickets at the ground.
At the end of the 2000 County Championship all remaining matches at the Bounty were moved to the Rose Bowl. But for the 2008 County Championship
2008 County Championship
The 2008 County Championship season, known as the LV County Championship for sponsorship reasons, was contested through two divisions: Division One and Division Two. Each team plays all the others in their division both home and away...
the club reinstated the Bounty on the fixture list and it now plays host to one Championship match a season.