Headingley

[edit] Biography

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. Until recently the whole complex was owned by the Leeds Cricket, Football and Athletic Company, which is the parent company of both rugby clubs, but Yorkshire County Cricket Club secured a loan to purchase the cricket ground in December 2005 and is moving ahead with the purchase.

Since 11 January 2006 the stadium has officially been known as the Headingley Carnegie Stadium as a result of sponsorship from Leeds Metropolitan University.

Headingley cricket ground adjoins the rugby stadium via a shared main stand. It has seen Test cricket since 1899 and can hold a capacity of 14000. Headingley spectators have been lucky enough to witness some of the greatest moments in cricket. Spinner Hedley Verity took 10 wickets for 10 runs in 1932 for Yorkshire v Nottinghamshire. A world record that still lasts today. The most memorable innings probably being Geoff Boycott's hundredth hundred, made against Australia in 1977. Headingley also provided the stage for the most dramatic comeback in Test cricket in 1981, when England beat Australia by 18 runs. The bookies had England at 500-1 after being 227 runs behind and they were 135-7 in their second innings. Ian Botham with the bat and Bob Willis with the ball worked miracles and claimed victory for England. Although it should be noted that several members of the Australian team took the 500-1 odds.

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. Shortly afterwards 98.37% of members who participated in a vote backed the deal. The following month the club announced plans to rebuild the stand next to the rugby ground with 3,000 extra seats, taking capacity to 20,000.

[edit] Statistics

• Highest Score: 334, D.G. Bradman, Australia v England (1930)
• Best Bowling: 10-10, H. Verity, Yorkshire v Nottinghamshire (1932)

[edit] References

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