This, the county ground of the Nottinghamshire Cricket Club famous throughout the world as "Trent Bridge" was originally a meadow adjoining the old Trent Bridge Inn at the time when its landlord was William Clarke the incomparable slow bowler later to earn the honoured title of Father of Nottinghamshire Cricket. The ground prepared by him was opened on May 28 1838 The first inter-county contest to be fought here being between Nottinghamshire and Sussex on July 27 & 28 1840 since when, as the scene of Nottinghamshire matches and Test matches its history has been steadily illustrious.