St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground

Infobox_Stadium
stadium_name = St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground
nickname =


location = Brynmill, Swansea, Wales
broke_ground = 1873
opened = 1873
closed =
demolished =
owner = City and County of Swansea council
operator = City and County of Swansea council
surface = Grass
construction_cost = ?
architect = ?
former_names =
tenants = Swansea RFC
seating_capacity = 4,500

St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground is a spectator sports venue in Swansea, Wales. It is used for both rugby union and cricket. [ [http://www.cricketarchive.com/Glamorgan/History/St_Helens/pictures/st_helens_2.jpgCricket archive] ] [ [http://www.cricketarchive.com/Glamorgan/History/St_Helens/pictures/st_helens_9.jpgCricket archive] ] This is home of the "All Whites", Swansea RFC, and of Swansea Cricket club. The ground opened in 1873.

It is owned and operated by the City and County of Swansea council and is also used to host the local annual Guy Fawkes night fireworks display. [ [http://www.cricketarchive.com/Glamorgan/History/St_Helens/pictures/st_helens_7.jpgCricket archive] ]

Prior to re-development in 2005, the venue could hold an audience of 10,500 seated. The famous east stand, which provided cloisters over part of Oystermouth road has since been demolished and replaced with a metallic structure unloved by locals. The tallest flood light stand in Europe is in St. Helen's Ground. [ [http://www.cricketarchive.com/Glamorgan/History/St_Helens/pictures/st_helens_6.jpgCricket archive] ] In late November 2007, the ground's perimeter wall in the South East corner, next to Mumbles Road and Gorse Lane, was knocked down and a new wall built further inside the ground, in similar style to the old wall. This was to accommodate a new car park with 39 spaces for the Patti Pavilion.

Rugby

Between 1882 and 1954, this was an international rugby centre. It was here that Swansea RFC defeated New Zealand 11-3 on Saturday 28th September 1935. Thus becoming the first ever club side to beat the All Blacks. The Welsh rugby league team defeated the New Zealand side by one point in a match of the 1975 Rugby League World Cup at the ground. It was also here that Swansea RFC defeated world champions Australia 21-6 in November 1992, when Australia played their first match of their Welsh Tour. [ [http://www.swansea.gov.uk/media/images/St%20Helens.jpgSwansea Cricket ground] ]

Between 1919 and 1952, St. Helens was also the home of Swansea Uplands RFC until the club sought its new home in Upper Killay. [ [http://www.eraofthebiff.com/mm21-2.jpgSt. Helens Cricket ground] ]

Cricket

Infobox cricket ground
ground_name = St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground
nickname =
country = Wales
location = Brynmill, Swansea
seating_capacity = 4,500
owner = City and County of Swansea council
end1 =
end2 =
international = true
firstodidate = 18 July
firstodiyear = 1973
firstodihome = England
firstodiaway = New Zealand
lastodidate = 9 June
lastodiyear = 1983
lastodihome = Pakistan
lastodiaway = Sri Lanka
year1 = 1890 – present
club1 = Glamorgan
year2 = 1873 – present
club2 = Swansea Cricket Club
date = 12 April
year = 2008
source = http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/england/content/ground/57347.html CricinfoIt was in this ground in 1968 that Sir Garfield Sobers hit the first ever six sixes in one over in first-class cricket. [ [http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39101000/jpg/_39101814_st_helens_203.jpgCricket picture] ] Sobers was playing as captain of Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan. [ [http://www.cricketarchive.com/Glamorgan/History/St_Helens/pictures/st_helens_5.jpgCricket picture] ]

As part of their commitment to the entire country of Wales, Glamorgan County Cricket Club play some of their home matches at St Helens, as well as their regular home ground, SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff, and Colwyn Bay Cricket Club's ground in Rhos-on-Sea.

The cricketer's widow

Many residents of the houses on Bryn Road, which surround the ground, believe to have witnessed during the early hours of the morning, the figure of a woman, wearing a long, white gown and tall feathered hat, walk from where the current rugby scoreboard stands (next to the unused gate 9) along the main terraces and onto the cricket strip. The figure, believed to be the widow of a local cricket player who frequented the ground soon after it had originally opened, is then saidweasel-inline to walk slowly up and down the strip before disappearing near the wicket at the Oystermouth Road end.

The identity of the ghostly figure is not known, but popular belief is that her husband died near the ground in the early 1900s and spent much of his time at the historic ground whilst she watched from the surrounding terraces. It is believed the figure visits the ground to mourn the loss of her loved one.

References

External links

* [http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/england/content/ground/57347.html cricinfo: St Helen's]
* [http://www.glamorgancricket.com/grounds_swansea.php Glamorgan Cricket Club: St Helen's]
* [http://cricketarchive.com/Glamorgan/Grounds/780.html Cricket Archive: St Helen's]