Grace Ballinger names Lord’s, Durham and Headingley among her favourite county grounds

Ballinger’s personal guide to England’s county grounds

Grace Ballinger has ranked her favourite English county grounds after completing the remarkable feat of playing at all 18 first-class counties during the first five years of her professional career.

The Blaze and Manchester Super Giants seamer stressed that the list is subjective rather than scientific. Her choices reflect her own performances, the grounds’ locations, weather conditions, changing facilities, atmosphere and personal memories. She ranked 15 grounds, avoiding the suggestion that any first-class venue deserved to be labelled the worst.

15th to 11th: rain, outfields and limited memories

Derbyshire’s OurCoop County Ground was 15th, largely because Ballinger considers it the most difficult of the grounds on which to field. Kent’s St Lawrence Ground was 14th after a single rain-affected County Cup quarter-final played before a near-empty crowd.

Essex’s Ambassador Cruise Line Ground came 13th. Ballinger praised its traditional atmosphere, support for the home side and assistance for seamers, although she noted that she had always changed in a marquee rather than the official dressing rooms. Sophia Gardens was 12th after a series of rain-hit Hundred fixtures and a memory of conceding three consecutive boundaries. Gloucestershire’s Seat Unique Stadium completed this section in 11th, mainly because it had not left a particularly strong impression.

10th to 6th: grounds with stronger personal connections

Worcestershire’s New Road was 10th and marked the point at which Ballinger said she became “very fond” of every remaining ground. She praised its suitability for women’s domestic cricket but remembered losing the 2023 T20 Cup final to Southern Vipers after opening the bowling and conceding 20 runs in her first over.

Somerset’s Cooper Associates County Ground was ninth. Ballinger admired the club’s support, its changing rooms and nearby coffee shops, although she felt the pitches offered limited assistance to seam bowlers and suited spin more readily.

Edgbaston was eighth, boosted by Ballinger’s decade playing for Warwickshire after growing up in Birmingham. She described it as one of her most successful away grounds, but said its commercial feel made it less appealing than more traditional venues.

Emirates Old Trafford ranked seventh. Ballinger enjoyed joining Manchester Super Giants and valued Lancashire’s history, while the slower, lower-scoring pitches suited her as a bowler. The frequent rain, however, counted against it.

County Ground, Hove, was sixth and completed Ballinger’s tour of all 18 counties. She recalled bowling up the hill for England A against India A, but the ground’s position was helped by an enjoyable stay in Brighton that included morning sea swims.

Ballinger’s top five

Lord’s was fifth, with its history, excellent outfield, teas and the privilege of playing at the famous venue all contributing to its ranking. Ballinger also fondly remembered winning The Hundred there in 2025 with Northern Superchargers, which she described as one of the greatest days of her career.

Banks Home Riverside, Durham, was fourth. Ballinger praised the ground’s character and the club’s values, while also enjoying stays in Durham city centre. The venue holds particularly good memories after she helped bowl Northern Diamonds out for 63 in 2023, with Ballinger and Nadine De Klerk taking all 10 wickets between them.

Headingley was third after three seasons as a Northern Superchargers home ground. Ballinger highlighted its outstanding atmosphere, strong support and the number of matches the team won there. Although its good pitches and fast outfield can make it a challenging venue for bowlers, she said the surface can still offer early assistance to seamers.

The Kia Oval was second. Ballinger called it a popular choice among players and placed it just behind her undisclosed top-ranked ground in the available column extract.

Ballinger’s rankings ultimately show how differently a cricket venue can be judged by a player. Weather, a single spell, a final defeat, a supportive crowd or a memorable weekend away can matter as much as the quality of the pitch or the history of the ground.