Hastings. Central Cricket Ground Fine Art Print

In the good old days of country cricket when you could share a beer with the players at the local pub after the game, the clubs had a main ground and several outgrounds. By way of example, Kent’s main ground was Canterbury, but they also played county cricket at various club grounds including Gravesend, The Mote, Dartford, Folkestone and Tunbridge Wells. The grounds would attract large crowds of local people who could not afford to travel to the main county ground and the local children would watch the final session of each day’s play after school. Many of the players had come through the local state school system where cricket was on the curriculum and had been inspired, at a young age, by watching top players. The picture depicts one of Sussex County Cricket Club’s outgrounds at Hastings. Some of the greatest players of all time represented their counties playing against Sussex, on this pitch. This valuable space is now a shopping centre where half of the units are empty and a cold wind blows, even in the height of summer. The entrances have a faint smell of urine and disinfectant. Relatives of the pigeons, who used to nibble grass seed on the cricket square, now walk on deformed feet around the shopping centre, picking at old fag butts and fast food wrappers. Groups of bored youths slouch against graffitied walls and study mobile phones. As I write this, I’m listening to Test Match Special from Hobart. It’s day three and England has just lost their last second-inning wicket, and with it, the match. The series has gone to Australia 4-0.