Due to the River Colne running alongside the ground, there used to be regular problems of drainage. In 1966, a match in progress was moved to Colchester's secondary venue, the Garrison A Cricket Ground. Matches returned to the ground in 1974 when a John Player League match was played and Essex played on the ground annually until 2016. Since 2017 matches at the ground have been "suspended" as a result of changes to the ways in which fixtures are arranged by the England and Wales Cricket Board.