Cricket grounds in most parts of the world are devoid of any trees or shrubs. The lime tree at the St Lawrence Ground was an exception: the ground opened as the Beverley ground in 1847, and was built around the tree.
The presence of a tree within the playing area required special local rules. Shots blocked by the tree were counted as a four. Only four cricketers have cleared the tree to score a six: Arthur 'Jacko' Watson of Sussex in 1925, the West Indies' Learie Constantine (1928), Middlesex's Jim Smith (1939), and Carl Hooper (1992).1
The tree was diagnosed with heartwood fungus in the 1990s, and it was pollarded to encourage new growth, reducing it from over 120 feet to around 90 feet in height. Finally, high winds in England on 7 January 2005 caused the 200 year-old tree snap in two, leaving a 7-foot stump. Wood from the dead tree will be made into mementos that will be sold to supporters.
A new lime tree was planted outside of the playing area in 1999 by EW Swanton, in preparation for the ultimate demise of its predecessor.[1] The club moved it within the playing area on 8 March 2005, although it was still less than 6 feet high.
