Did I ask this on the old Forum? Well, I can't remember the answer, so I will enquire again.

If you leave the City on the Hereford road, then between Rushwick and Bransford is a notably big lay-by.

In c. 1978, I remember our car pulling up there and noticing a cricket match in the field opposite. And so for the next two years, we as a family made sure that we stopped there for tea one Saturday of the summer- and watched an hour of cricket or so around 5.

Until the third year. When we noticed no more cricketers and a farmer ploughing it instead.

No more cricket there ever again. But tell me if you can- whose team used it as a home ground?

Many thanks in advance.

I think it used to be used by the a team called " The Fox " and it was just down from the pub called " The Fox at Bransford ". They did stop using the field in the early 80's if I remember correctly.
Nowadays Rushwick play in the Worcs League, as do Worcester Nomads who play further down the road in Bransford.

Thanks for the info, Hotels!

For years I didn't know what to think- and then I thought it might be a club that became the Worcester Nomads after they lost that ground and had to always play away.....I was corrected as to that last summer- but no one could answer my question as to who played there.

Good luck to both Rushwick and the Nomads in 2010- may you both enter the Birmingham League soon [though not at the expense of the Dartmouth!]

I believe the Bransford club got themselves in a bit of a pickle, financially.

I always feel a tinge of sadness when I drive by the Kidderminster Viaduct on the Kidderminster / Worcester Road.

Where a cricket ground is now just an overgrown field.
I assume formally used by one of the 'carpet' social teams ???

Yes, I think it was Victoria Carpets.

They had the money and Kidderminster had the ground, wasn't it?

Cue 'Kidderminster Victoria'- or KVCC- though I am sure very few people use the suffix to this day.

Brintons (carpets) had a fine sport and social set up covering several sports. I might be wrong but I think that's the one on Kiddy/Worcs Rd.

There is a regular lurker who will know the answer to this - yes, you know who you are !

I've played at all of the grounds mentioned on this thread with the exception of the old " Fox at Bransford " ground, and the old Victoria carpets ground by the viaduct was a nice place to play. As with many works grounds, this is just another that has been lost. When I first started playing adult cricket in Worcester in the late 70's, there were many "works" grounds and teams.
Battenhall Road in Worcester had 5 in a row - Worcester City, Cathedral Guild, Metal Box,Dowty Meco, and the Co-Op grounds one after the other.
I played at them all, and now the only ground left is the Cathedral Guild ground ( now taken on by University of Worcester ), where the Worcs League side Dominies play. All very sad.

I'm sure many of the Wolverhampton League grounds that I played on from 1979-1983 have also gone. I know that my former home ground at Stuart Crystal in Wordsley has been built on

Your right Tim. Most of the W'ton League grounds have gone which significantly reduces the amount of cricket played.

Cricket used to be played at Powick (the hospital paying field) - alas no more.
Ditto St.Wulstans in Malvern Wells.

It did as I have played at these also. I remember that Malvern Wayfarers used to play at Powick, and Autopack used to play at St Wulstans. As NHS " Care in the Community " came into being in the 80's both Hospital sites were closed and everything knocked down, sites sold to developers, and housing estates built. St Wulstans closed circa 1985 and Powick circa 1987. The Powick playing fields are still thankfully used for sport, albeit 2 football pitches.

Added to this of course, the shameful closure of the Cinderella Ground ( ex WCCC ) where Kays used to play. A fantastic batting track in its prime cared for by the excellent groundsman Ollie Andrews.

As I hear the ECB puff themselves up on a regular basis about participation in cricket and how wonderfully well they do at promoting the game, I often wonder where they were, when all these grounds and many,many more were being sold off and lost for ever.