Historic Cricket Pictures

The England side head back to their hotel after a day's play in the 3rd Ashes Test at the MCG, January 1898

Rupert Hickmont was one of New Zealand's most promising young batsmen, making his FC debut aged 17 and touring Australia with NZ in 1913-14. He enlisted in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in 1915 and was killed in action on the Somme in September 1916. He was 22. Wisden lamented he "was probably the most promising young cricketer in the Dominion, and his early death will be felt severely when the game is resumed"

@niallb1 Small planes were widely used for aerial photography by this time as they were cheaper and could cover a number of sites in a short time in one flight

Not much parking required in 1926, then. Great photo. Plane or dirigible, I wonder?

Another lost outground ... sort of! Bedford School hosted two of Northamptonshire's John Player League matches in 1971 and 1982 as well as many Bedfordshire Minor County games. In the early years of the JPL - much as in the first year of the Twenty20 - counties took games to many new venues

A catch that was felt round the world. Bermuda's Dwayne Leverock dives to catch Robin Uthappa off Malachi Jones, India v Bermuda, World Cup, Port of Spain, March 19th 2007 (Prakash Singh)

An aerial view of Headingley on the first morning of the 3rd Ashes Test, July 10th 1926

@Simon_Gleaden For many years the tours rumbled on after the final Test, in some instances for as long as six weeks. Much of the reason for that was financial, both for the tourists as well as the counties

@PictureSporting In those days the tourists played one or two games after the final test.

The end-of-season festival match at Scarborough between HDG Leveson-Gower’s XI v Australians, 10th-12th September 1930. Bradman signed off with 96 and so finished the tour with 2960 runs at 98.66

Another lost outground ... Colwyn Bay's Penrhyn Avenue ground was used by Glamorgan for one match a season from 1996 to 1974 and then from 1990 to 2020. It is almost four hours by road from their Cardiff base. It was opened in 1924

Old Trafford pictured in 1949. Although the ground opened immediately after the end of the war it had suffered substantial damage and an appeal to raise funds for its repair failed to raise enough so rebuilding was piecemeal

@MagnaAulae No limits because of safety/access etc in those days. When there were large crowds there many couldn't see anything!

@PictureSporting Arundel now puts its capacity at 6,000 but what’s changed? It’s still just a field with grass embankments.

Around 12,000 attended the tour opener between the Duke of Norfolk’s XI and the Australians, Arundel, April 28th 1956. About 20,000 had been expected but (incorrect) forecasts of rain kept many away. Turnstiles had been borrowed from Ascot racecourse to cope with the crowds

Edgbaston pictured in 1938 when it was mainly surrounded by open land. It hosted four Tests between 1902 and 1929 but had to wait until 1957 before it became a regular fixture on the international calendar

A floodlit match between a Brian Sellers XI and a Bradford League XI at Bradford's Odsal Stadium, September 16th 1952. Around 3000 saw the Seller's XI score 119 for 5 and bowl out Bradford for 110. A wooden pitch was placed in the middle of the ground and covered with matting

A superb aerial view of Trent Bridge with Nottingham Forest's City Ground nearby. This photo was take around 1948

@WestBromEL Quite a lot and I do post it and will continue to

@PictureSporting Have you got any stuff on Sydney Barnes please?

Wilfred Rhodes, unquestionably one of the game's greats. In a 58-Tesr career from 1899 to 1930 he scored 2325 runs at 30.19 and took 127 wickets at 26.96; in all cricket he played 1110 matches scoring 39969 runs at 30.81 and taking 4204 wickets at 16.72, aggregates that will never be matched. Oh, and he also held 765 catches. In his final year, aged 52, he played four Tests.

Brian Close's image as cricket's hard man took a slight knock in March 1967 when it was revealed his pre-season preparation involved a health farm with saunas, massages, and group toning exercises. He said: "I know the lads will pull my leg about the beauty bit but I won't mind that a bit."

An informal picture of players chatting in the pavilion before the delayed second day of Essex v Sussex at Leyton, June 23rd 1911. Around 8000 spectators were rewarded with 22 wickets on what one newspaper described as a "remarkable" day

@Hendondave Nive story! They used to have some fun charity matches at Lord's back then. Nowdays the square is far too precious ...

@PictureSporting I was there that day and, walking behind the Pavilion, I met Elton, who was talking with a friend. I wished him good luck and he thanked me while admitted to being very nervous. I think he first came out to start his innings with a joke bat about 12 inches wide.

Elton John on his way out to bat in a benefit game between Middlesex and the Vic Lewis All Stars, Lord's, June 10th 1973. He scored 24 and admitted he had not played since he left school a decade earlier. Vic Lewis was a bandleader and entrepreneur who was an active member of the Middlesex committee for quarter of a century