Leyton Cricket Ground (formerly known as the County Ground or the Lyttelton Ground) is a cricket ground in Leyton, London. The ground was the headquarters and main home match venue of Essex County Cricket Club from 1886 until 1933, and was also used by the club for matches between 1957 and 1977. It currently hosts club and community cricket matches and has a listed pavilion. Cricket ground The ground has been used for cricket since the early 19th century. Essex County Cricket Club played their first game there on 15 and 16 June 1885 against Surrey; the game was lost by an innings. The captain of Essex, Charles Ernest Green, became convinced that the club's headquarters ground at Brentwood was too small and isolated and he drove the campaign to acquire the Leyton ground. In 1886, the club purchased the ground from its owner, the cricket-loving Lord Lyttelton, at a "favourable" price of £12,000. An appeal was launched for £3,500 for the construction of a pavilion, other necessary buildings and "general alterations". Lord Lyttelton was the first donor, contributing £200. Initially known as the "Lyttelton Ground", a local newspaper report claimed that the development of the site "gave unwonted loveliness to a district which but a short while since presented an appearance of the abomination of desolation", since the surrounding area had been sold off for the construction of new housing and a railway line. Although £2,900 had been raised by the appeal, the purchase of the Leyton Cricket Ground left the club in financial difficulty for decades. In March 1918, a British tank nicknamed "Julian" was exhibited at the ground as part of a campaign to sell war bonds. In 1921, the ground was sold to the Army Sports Central Board, relieving the club of a £10,000 mortgage. Leyton Cricket Ground remained the headquarters of Essex County Cricket Club until 1933, when the club relinquished its lease. In 1931 the club had looked into the possibly of buying the ground again and launched an appeal for funds to help with the purchase, but by the end of the 1932 season Essex's poor financial situation led to the plan being dropped and the decision was made to remove the county's headquarters from Leyton. In 1933 Essex gave up the lease on Leyton, moved its headquarters to Chelmsford and commenced playing matches at a variety of venues around the county. Essex