BRISTOL’S fastest growing cricket club has secured the use of a new ground for its Saturday sides and junior teams.
Golden Hill’s 5th, 6ths, 7ths, 8ths and Midweek XI can now call the newly named Shine Sports Ground at Lime Trees Road in Henleaze their home.
The impressive facility is owned by Bristol Grammar School and more recently was used by Redmaids School before local company Shine signed a ten-year lease to maximise its potential for cricket.
The spacious ground also boasts a clubhouse and changing rooms, and is only a short walk from the club’s Wimbledon Road headquarters.
John Colley is a director of Shine which has close links with Golden Hill Cricket Club. He said:
“The timing of the ground becoming available was perfect as Golden Hill last year lost the use of Kellaway Avenue where their 5ths and 6ths were based. We’ve employed a full-time groundsman and spent an estimated £30,000 on the grass pitches as well as installing an artificial wicket and making everything ready for cricket.
“As well as being used by the senior sides, there will be a lot of other matches played here by the club’s junior boys and girls teams along with inclusivity cricket. It’s been a labour of love seeing everything come together. And it’s a facility which is already proving popular with the local community as it also hosts plenty of other activities during the week.”
Golden Hill 5ths, under Gerry Davis, marked their first home game at the new ground with a 28-run win over Timsbury in Division 13 on the opening day of the Bristol & District League season.
And there was a seven-wicket friendly victory for the 7ths, led by Sanjay Sampat, on the adjacent pitch against Chipping Sodbury 4ths.
Golden Hill’s new ground is pictured above while the main image features 7th team skipper Sanjay Sampat (left) and 5th team captain Gerry Davis.