Chelmsford County Cricket Ground - Essex Ground Guide

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By Cricket Tripper
Last Updated: April 15, 2021

Ground Facts

Opened: 1925
Capacity: 6,500
Team: Essex
Address: County Ground/New Writtle St, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 0PG

Chelmsford County Cricket Ground has been home to Essex County Cricket Club since 1967.

Ground Guide by Cricket Tripper

History

Chelmsford County Cricket Ground is a small ground and therefore makes it ideal for big-hitting batsmen; former England cricketer Graham Gooch scored most of his first-class runs there during his career spanning from 1973 until 2000. The popularity of Essex County Cricket Club increased between 2005 and 2008 when the ground hosted several shorter versions of the game such as T20 matches. This helped Chelmsford County Cricket Ground become a regular location for T20 and Friends Provident Trophy, as well as the ground signing a deal with Ford Motor Company, which gave the car brand naming rights for the ground between 2005 and 2013. Cloudfm held the naming rights between 2017 and 2019.

Despite all these name changes, the Chelmsford County Cricket Ground is often referred to as the ‘Fortress Chelmsford’ by its passionate supporter throughout Essex. It has a reputation for being notoriously windy. Following the ground developments of 1982, it is also known for its great drainage, helping to allow play to go on in wet conditions and increase the life of the pitch. This cricket ground was also known for its temporary status as an emergency helicopter landing space for the nearby hospital, until the casualty department was relocated.

Whilst its popularity is spread among cricket fans in the Essex region, the Chelmsford County Cricket Ground’s popularity and scale does not span over the whole of England. This can be reflected in the fact that it has only hosted two One Day Internationals. One was the 1983 Cricket World Cup Match between Australia and India, and the last was in the 1999 Cricket World Cup when South Africa played Zimbabwe. The plan for Ireland to host Bangladesh in 2020 in the second T20 International match of the tour was put aside due to the pandemic. It was supposed to be the first time that Ireland hosted a home game outside of Ireland, and officials are unsure about whether the game will be postponed or cancelled.

Spectators who attend games at Chelmsford County Cricket Ground can mostly watch from the single-tier seating around the pitch, or the double-tier stand. Club officials and press members can watch from the Pavilion, finished in the 1970s. Since 2010, there has been new development at the ground including the building of new apartment blocks, a new pavilion, a cricket school, public square and an access bridge from the Chelmsford town centre side of the ground. All of this was completed to help maximise the experience for each spectator. The Chelmsford County Cricket Ground is currently lit with floodlights to allow for dull days and games that seep into the evening, so that the capacity of 6,500 spectators can enjoy the game. The floodlights were a huge win for Essex County Cricket Club because they made Chelmsford County Cricket Ground one of only two grounds to have them as permanent fittings when they were installed in 2002.

Seating Plan

Below is a seating plan of Essex's Chelmsford County Cricket Ground:

Visiting the Ground - Travel

Stadium Map

Essex County Ground is located in the heart of Chelmsford, Essex giving it fantastic access to public transport links and ample parking.


Driving

The postcode for satnav is CM2 0PG. There is parking around the ground but isn’t available for the general public on matchdays. Luckily there is a multistory car-park in Chelmsford just 5 minutes away. It’s also relatively easy to find parking around Chelmsford town centre, with a number of regular car parks dotted around.

Train - Public Transport

Chelmsford Railway Station is the nearest station and is just 10 minute walk to the ground. There are regular trains from London, Coclhester, Ipswich and Norwich making it very convenient to get to the ground via train due to the stations close proximity to the ground.

Airports and Flying

The nearest airport is Stansted if you are travelling in from overseas. The airport is just 30-minute drive from Chelmsford if you want to splash out on a cab or other car service. There is also great public transport which takes about an hour to get to the ground.