In 1880 a group of enthusiasts met at the Commercial Hotel in Christchurch and floated a company: Canterbury Cricket and Athletic Sports Company Limited. It set out to create a private cricket ground at which admission could be charged. Hagley Park, where cricket had been played in Christchurch until this time, was a public reserve, so no charges could be levied at the gate. The company purchased a ground on Ferry Road, prepared the turf and built a pavilion. The first game at the new Lancaster Park was played against a visiting English side on 23 January 1882. As can be seen in this photograph, the ground was surrounded by a cinder athletics track, which was also used for penny-farthing bicycle races.