Our Home of Cricket, Bull Meadow. We truly believe this is one of the most picturesque village cricket settings in the county. We've been playing cricket here since 1870 (although we did relocate temporarily to a ground near St Peter's Church post WW1). The Tom Martin Pavillion was constructed in 1997 and we've been growing slowly ever since, with recent expansions including improved net facilities (2015), and the OK Shed (2021). We employ a local groundsman to ensure that our playing surface is the best it can be and have a team of volunteers to ensure the rest of the ground remains in tip-top condition.
Bull Meadow is probably the smallest ground in Essex, but spinners need not be afraid due to generous grip and turn on offer. From the pavilion end, seamers can target the infamous Totham Ridge (not Ben, infamous for other reasons), while what fast bowler wouldn't want to bowl downhill on our Lords-esq slope?
Great Braxted is one of 11 clubs formed in the 18th Century. During their lifetime, GBCC has lived through the Battle of Waterloo; witnessed the advent of the grass mower; and welcomed the invention of the car to transport them to matches further afield. Cricket in Great Braxted originally began inside the walls of Braxted Park, near to where the golf pavilion stands today. In recent times, GBCC's membership has dwindled to extinction, but we are proud to continue the long-standing tradition of playing cricket there and hope that this may encourage more cricket to be played in the village. Great Braxted is maintained by Sam Yeates, and just like any groundsman should, prepares a spinning deck that best suits his bowling!
A touch slower and lower than Bull Meadow due to the lack of cricket played there in recent years, we're hoping to get the playing surface back to what it once was when it regularly welcomed Essex CCC for Benefit Days. GBCC also comes with the captain's delight/headache of a large tree within the 30-yard circle just behind square leg from the pavilion end. You can't out caught off it, but you will need to avoid it when throwing in from the boundary or else you'll concede four runs!
