cinch County Ground

The cinch County Ground sits in the Abington area of Northampton, a patch of land that was farmland before the Northamptonshire County Cricket Club rented it in 1885. For nearly a century it belonged to a football club, Northampton Town, who moved there in 1897 and stayed until 1994. The football era left its mark: a main stand built in 1924 that was mostly destroyed by fire in 1930, and a temporary replacement nicknamed the 'Meccano Stand' after the original was demolished following the Bradford City Disaster in 1985.

The record attendance of 24,523 came on 23 April 1966 against Fulham in a First Division match. When the football club left for the Sixfields Stadium, the cricket club kept the place alive. The pitch remains natural grass, and the capacity sits at 6,500 seats. A £1 million renovation completed in 2023 gave the changing rooms a modern upgrade.

The ground has seen its share of noise. Concerts have been held since the footballers departed, including performances by Sir Elton John, AC/DC, and Status Quo. The cricket club also staged four matches during the 1999 Cricket World Cup, and in 1924 the venue hosted rugby union with a fixture between the East Midlands and the New Zealand All Blacks. A women's test match between England and Australia was played here in 1937, the only one of its kind at this ground. The current cricket pavilion dates from 1979, though no architect has been identified for its construction. The floodlights were installed during the 1980-81 season.