Magdalen Ground

Originally forming the northern point of Cowley Marsh, the ground was initially associated with the Magdalen College School, whose students played cricket there.

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) first played at the ground in 1832, with a side that featured Jem Broadbridge, William Lillywhite, and Ned Wenman.

Played before a large crowd and fair, but cold, weather, Oxford won the toss and elected to bat.

Chief amongst complaints from students was that they found the location of the ground was inconveniently situated from the main buildings of the university.

[8] During the First World War, there were talks to turn the ground over to agricultural use to help negate the growing food shortages caused by the German policy of unrestricted submarine warfare.

To this end, negotiations with the local allotment association began at the beginning of 1917,[9] with the ground being acquired by the Oxford Land Cultivation Committee in February 1917.

[10] The tenancy of the Oxford Land Cultivation Committee expired in March 1923,[11] with the ground subsequently being built over by residential housing later in the 1920s.