Cricket was played on the ground at Peverell Park before the land was purchased as part of Central Park. Plymouth Cricket Club has provided the following accounts from 1924 and 1925:
1924
At a January meeting, it was announced that owing to the Beacon Park pitches being unavailable for the coming season, it had been necessary to find a new ground. Negotiations had been taking place (mainly thanks to FG Elliott who would be re-elected Treasurer) with Lord St Levan with a view to taking possession of a field situated at the top of and bounded by Venn Lane and Home Park. The field was currently occupied by a Mr Cundy and it formed part of his farm, although arrangements had been made for the club to take possession. In fact, work had already started to level and re-turf the ground ready for the coming season. It was “well served by trams” and there were hopes that it would be a permanent home – to be known as Venn Park or Peverell Park.
1925
At the AGM on 7 March, George Smith announced that the club had acquired a lease from the Lord of the Manor for a seven-year tenancy, subject to the confirmation of the Corporation, who had already given the Lord of the Manor notice to treat for this ground in pursuance of the schemes for a central park. The main object of the town acquiring this ground was for the purpose of laying out parks and open spaces for recreation and Smith thought that the club should be the first to be considered when it came to a question of tenants for the occupation of the ground.
The Cricket Field was incorporated into the design for Central Park and it soon became one of the most prestigious grounds in the South West despite having a 7-metre fall on the Peverell side. This was addressed in the winter of 1933/34 when a large-scale levelling scheme was undertaken to make it as reasonably level as anyone could expect. The groundworks, however, led to a very soft outfield so any ball coming at a low trajectory rolled only a few yards after striking the ground.
