Headingley Stadium

Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Leeds Rhinos RLFC and Leeds Tykes RUFC. There are two separate grounds, with a two-sided stand housing common facilities. Initially, the whole complex was owned by the Leeds Cricket, Football and Athletic Company, which is the parent company of both rugby clubs. Yorkshire County Cricket Club purchased the cricket ground on 31 December 2005 and, as announced on 11 October 2006, the whole ground is managed as one jointly between Yorkshire C.C.C. and Leeds Rugby^[1].

Since 11 January 2006 the stadium has officially been known as the Headingley Carnegie Stadium as a result of sponsorship from Leeds Metropolitan University (their sports faculty being known as the Carnegie School of Sport Exercise and Physical Education). [1]

Headingley Rugby Stadium

Leeds St. Johns, who were later to become Leeds Rugby League Football Club then Leeds Rhinos, moved to Headingley in 1889 and built Headingley stadium. Since then the stadium has staged more than 40 international matches and countless domestic finals. Undersoil heating was installed in 1963, and floodlights in 1966. New changing rooms were added in 1991. 2006 saw the construction of the Carnegie Stand. Built to replace the old eastern terrace, it was opened on 1 September 2006 for the Super League match between Leeds Rhinos and Warrington Wolves. The ground now has a capacity of 22,250.

The record attendance at Headingley was 40,175 for the rugby league match between Leeds and Bradford on the 21st May, 1947.

Leeds RUFC, later to become Leeds Tykes, was formed in June 1991 after the amalgamation of two clubs, Roundhay and Headingley. In July 1998 Leeds RUFC became part of the world's first dual-code rugby partnership, Leeds Rugby Limited.

Headingley's rugby stadium is located at 53°48′58.87″N, 1°34′55.82″W.

Headingley Cricket Ground

Headingley cricket ground adjoins the rugby stadium through a shared main stand. It has seen Test cricket since 1899 and has a capacity of 17,000.

Headingley's cricket ground is located at 53°49′3.58″N, 1°34′55.12″W.

Notable sporting moments

In 1902, Yorkshire beat the touring Australians by five wickets, after dismissing them for 23 in their second innings with George Herbert Hirst and Stanley Jackson taking five wickets each.

Donald Bradman's innings of 334 in the 1930 Ashes Test included 309 runs on the first day, and he followed it in the Australians' next test at Headingley in 1934 with an innings of 304.

Spinner Hedley Verity took 10 wickets for 10 runs in 1932 for Yorkshire v Nottinghamshire, still the best bowling analysis ever in first-class cricket. Verity had also taken all ten against Warwickshire at Headingley in 1931.

In 1948, Australia scored 404 for three on the last day to beat England. Arthur Morris scored 182 and Bradman scored 173 not out.

In the 1977 Ashes test (against Australia), Geoff Boycott scored his hundredth first-class hundred.

In 1981 Headingley provided the stage for perhaps the most dramatic comeback in Test cricket, when England beat Australia by 18 runs. The bookies quoted odds of 500-1 against an England victory after they followed on 227 runs behind and then collapsed to 135 for seven in their second innings. Ian Botham scored 149 not out, and then Bob Willis took eight for 43 with the ball, and England won. Members of the Australian team had taken the 500-1 odds. [2]

In the Test of 1991, Graham Gooch scored a match-winning 154 not out, carrying his bat throughout England's second innings of 252, against the West Indies including Malcolm Marshall, Curtley Ambrose and Courtney Walsh.

In a game they had to win to stay in the 1999 Cricket World Cup, the eventual cup-winners Australia chased down South Africa's 271 for seven after being 48 for three. Steve Waugh, who had been dropped by Herschelle Gibbs as he attempted to throw the ball up in celebration, scored 120 not out. [3]

In 2000, England dismissed the West Indies for 61 to win by an innings, with Andrew Caddick taking four wickets in an over.

In August 2001, England successfully chased 315 to beat the all-conquering Australians, with Mark Butcher scoring an unbeaten 173 as England won by six wickets. [4]

Owning the ground

In December 2005 Yorkshire County Cricket Club obtained a loan of £9 million from Leeds City Council towards the cost of purchasing the cricket ground for £12 million. [5]. Shortly afterwards 98.37% of members who participated in a vote backed the deal [6]. On The 11th January 2006 the club announced plans to rebuild the stand next to the rugby ground with 3,000 extra seats, taking capacity to 20,000 [7]. The club also announced plans to redevelop the Winter Shed (North) stand on 25th August 2006 providing a £12.5Million Pavillion Complex [8].

See also

• List of cricket grounds in England and Wales

Notes

1. ^ "Joint management agreed for Headingley Stadium", YorkshireCCC.org, 2006-10-11. Retrieved on October 15, 2006.

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