John Fretwell Sporting Complex

The John Fretwell Sporting Complex is a cricket ground located at Sookholme near Market Warsop in Warsop parish, Nottinghamshire, England. The ground, which also has facilities for football and bowls, is the home of Welbeck Cricket Club and has been used by Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club for some List A fixtures since 2015.

John Fretwell Sporting Complex

John Fretwell Sporting Complex in 2021
Ground information
Location	Nettleworth, Warsop, Nottinghamshire
Home club	Welbeck
County club	Nottinghamshire
Establishment	2007
Team information
Nottinghamshire (2015–present) Nottinghamshire Women (2009–present)
As of 25 July 2016 Source: CricketArchive

The ground was developed by retired local businessman John Fretwell, a former Welbeck cricketer who wanted to create a new facility for the local community. Welbeck Colliery Cricket Club — as they were then known — were felt to have outgrown the facilities at their Oakfield Lane ground in Market Warsop. Fretwell identified a site on farmland off Sookholme Road where the new complex was constructed in 2006. Welbeck Colliery began to play at the ground from the beginning of the 2007 season.^[1]

Part of Fretwell's vision for the ground was to bring county cricket back to the north of Nottinghamshire, which was achieved in 2015. Prior to then, Nottinghamshire had not played a home match anywhere other than Trent Bridge since 2004, and not at another ground in their own county since 1998. The inaugural "Welbeck Weekender" took place in July 2015, with Royal London One-Day Cup matches on consecutive days against Warwickshire and Glamorgan.^[2] in July 2016, Nottinghamshire faced Derbyshire in the same competition.^[3] Nottinghamshire have also used the ground for Second XI fixtures several times since 2008.

Nottinghamshire Women played their first Women's County Championship match at Welbeck in 2009 and have used the ground regularly since 2013.^[4]

References

1. Halfpenny, Matt (25 May 2015). "How £34 worth of watches led to Warwickshire and Glamorgan visiting Notts at Welbeck in Royal London Cup". Mansfield & Ashfield Chad. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
2. Halfpenny, Matt (17 June 2015). "'Welbeck Weekender' could become an annual event". Mansfield & Ashfield Chad. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
3. Davies, Matt (22 July 2016). "Notts return to Welbeck as they target another quarter-final spot". Nottingham Post. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
4. "The John Fretwell Sporting Complex - Tied up in Notts | Pitchcare Articles". www.pitchcare.com.

External links

• CricketArchive page

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