Cricket Archive

Historical notes on ground name by Chris Ayliffe

Ground:

Hawker's Sports Ground, Kingston-upon-Thames

Hawkers built aircraft at two factories in Kingston. The first was opened in 1912 and the second at Richmond Road, where the cricket ground is located, was opened in 1917.

In 1928 Hawkers leased the Richmond Road factory to Leyland for 20 years. Leyland used the plant to build motor vehicles.

In 1948 Hawkers took the factory back and started to build aircraft again.

The Surrey Comet accounts of the matches from 1946 to 1948 refer to them being played at Leyland's ground. In 1949 the matches are described as being played on the Hawker Ground adding the rider "formerly Leyland's."

From 1950 onwards the Surrey Comet notes the games as being played at Hawkers, which is the name that the ground is known as today even though the aircraft factory has closed and has now been built over.