Lords Cricket Ground - London, England
Often called the Home of Cricket, Lord's Cricket Ground is one of the most prestigious of the cricket grounds. Its extremely scenic setting and rich history make it a very special ground for every cricketer. Lord's Cricket Ground is under the proprietorship of Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home ground of the Middlesex County Cricket Club. Lord's Cricket Ground has underground various phases of refurbishment in the 1990s followed to another one in 2003. The present Lords has a much improved drainage system and the entire outfield has been replaced by a new one. One of the most distinct features of Lords ground is the in the outfield. The extreme end of the slope, when compared to other end is little less than eight feet lower. Lords also has the MCC museum, which is oldest sports museum. It contains articles related to cricket of great antiquity. Apart from hosting test matches, one day internationals and the domestic matches, Lords is set to be one of the venues for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Lords has hosted over hundred test matches since 1884. An evidence of Lords alignment with history is provided by the centuries old match, which is still played, between Harrow and Eton. The matches began in 1805 and commemorated its bicentennial year in 2005.
Old Trafford Cricket Ground Manchester - Manchester, England
The Old Trafford cricket ground, Manchester is one of England's oldest and most famed cricket stadiums. Serving as the home ground of the Lancashire County Cricket Club, Old Trafford has hosted cricket matches from as long ago as 1856. The Old Trafford cricket ground has a rich heritage and has witnessed many international matches. Some of the most historic cricketing events have also taken place at the venue. Jim Laker took his famous ten wickets in an innings against Australia here in 1956 and it was at this very stadium that Shane Warne bowled the celebrated "ball of the century" to Mike Gatting. The stadium can seat about 20,000 spectators at a time, making it one of the larger cricket stadiums. Apart from cricket, the ground has also hosted many concerts, a famous one being the Move Concert. But now the stadium is going through a major transformation and some of the old stands have demolished. The pavilion is also being renovated to give the ground a much needed facelift. The Old Trafford cricket ground, Manchester generally hosts all the major Tests and so it was really disappointing to see the stadium missing out on the opportunity to host a 2009 Ashes Test. Old Trafford lost to Cardiff in its bid to host one of the Tests of the 2009 Ashes series.
The Brisbane Cricket Ground - Brisbane, Australia
The first cricket match on the Brisbane Cricket Ground was played in December 1896 between The Press and Parliament. It took many years before the ground was used for either domestic or international matches. The first ever first class cricket was played in 1931; towards the end of the same year Brisbane Cricket Ground witnessed its first ever test match. The match was played between Australia and South Africa. A programme was initiated in 1999, which went on for six years. A total of $128,000,000 was spent in giving the ground a new face. The Brisbane Cricket Ground now has all the amenities of a modern cricket ground- like lush green outfield, powerful floodlights and efficient ground drying systems. A number of sports, apart from cricket are played in Brisbane Cricket Ground. Some of the games are Australian Football, Soccer and Rugby.
Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) - Sydney, Australia
The Sydney cricket Ground or SCG is one of the oldest cricket grounds in Australia. The stadium was established in 1848 and has since played host to a great number of historical test and ODI cricket matches as well as rugby and Australian Rules football matches. The first official game of cricket was played at the SCG in 1879. From then on the ground has been witness to a number of great cricket matches and innings including Sir Donald Bradman's historic innings of 452* against Queensland in 1929-'30 and Brian Lara's skillful 227 in 1992-'93. Though the pitch at the Sydney Cricket Ground was once ideally suited for the batsmen to score big runs, it has now become a spinners paradise. Among the most memorable displays of spin bowling seen at the SCG is Allan Border's amazing 11-wicket haul in 1988-'89 against the West Indies. The stadium has a seating capacity of over 40,000 and has many stands, including the famous Members Stand and Ladies Stand. Like most other cricket grounds in Australia, the Sydney Cricket Ground too has hosted many concerts and is a very popular venue for concerts as well. In January 2005 the WaveAid concert was held at the SCG to raise funds for the Tsunami victims.
Wanderers Stadium Johannesburg - Johannesburg, South Africa
The New Wanderers Stadium Johannesburg is the third stadium in Johannesburg where Test cricket has been played, the other two being the Old Wanderers (that has now become a railway station) and the Ellis Park Rugby Stadium. The New Wanderers, also known as the Wanderers is one of the best cricket grounds in South Africa. It has a seating capacity of 30,000 with comfortable stands. The ground is also very well suited for the players with brilliant lighting, quick outfields and a great pitch that favors both the batsmen and the bowlers. Many memorable cricket matches have been held at the Wanderers, the most memorable of these being the 2003 World Cup final. However, very unfortunately a devastating fire destroyed much of the pavilion on October 1, 2004 and along with it some priceless items of history. After renovation, the ground once again is ready for all the cricketing action.
Sahara Park Newlands, Cape Town - Cape Town, South Africa
Sahara Park Newlands in Cape Town stands unequalled in its beauty. The awe-inspiring Table Mountain and Devil's Peak stand like giants outside of the ground, watching the men play in the lush green field. Sahara Park Newlands was first chosen as a test match venue for the match between and South Africa in March 1889. The match was won comfortably by England. The first ODI was played as late as in1992 on Sahara Park Newlands. The inaugural match was played between India and South Africa, who won the match by 6 wickets. Sahara Park Newlands, unlike other South African pitches, favors spin bowling. In the recent years, significant transformations have changed the face of the Sahara Park Newlands. The grassy little mounds that were scattered outside the main field have given way to a pavilion for the spectators. At present the ground can accommodate 25,000 spectators.
Eden Gardens Kolkata - Kolkata, India
Known as the 'Lords of Asia', Eden Gardens is the oldest cricket ground in India. It was build in 1864 and in 1934 it hosted its first test match, which featured Douglas Jardine's team. Eden Gardens has hosted more number of test matches than any other ground in India. In 1987, Eden Gardens got shelters for the stands, a new pavilion and a Club House; nearly six years later floodlights came to this acclaimed ground. Eden Gardens is one of the largest cricket grounds in the world with a capacity for 90,000 spectators. In terms of size it is rivaled only by the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) The crowd behavior in Eden Gardens has at times left many shamefaced. The incidents during the test match against West Indies in 1966-67 and two years later against Australia were both ugly and regrettable- a jarring contrast to the beauty of the stadium. The pitch at Eden Gardens is, alike the other pitches in India, partial to spin bowling. The picturesque Eden Gardens has inspired Indians to play some wonderful cricket. The famous victory against Australia in 2001, which broke the latter's unbeaten record of 16 consecutive test wins, could not have found a better arena for such a spirited display from the Indian side.
Wankhede Stadium Mumbai - Mumbai, India
Wankhede Stadium got test status in 1974, when it hosted a match between India and the touring West Indies. It is the largest cricket stadium in Mumbai. Wankhede Stadium was born out the dispute between Cricket Club of India and Bombay Cricket Association. Wankhede Stadium has seen some wonderful display of both batting and bowling. It was here that Sunil Gavaskar made his fighting 205 against the fearsome West Indian bowling attack in 1978-79 series. In 1980 Ian Botham won the admiration of the fans in Wankhede Stadium by his wonderful display with a century and three wickets. Also an integral part of these wonderful memories is Ravi Shastri six sixes in first class cricket. Owing to the proximity to the sea, Wankhede Stadium has ample sea breezes blowing through it; this aids the faster bowlers with early swings. Wankhede Stadium has a wonderful batting pitch and usually produces high scoring matches. As a fitting tribute to the famous test cricketers from Mumbai, Wankhede Stadium's stands have been named after Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar and Vijay Merchant.
Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi - New Delhi, India
Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi was built in 1883. It hosted its first test match in 1948-49 season, when the West Indies toured India. Feroz Shah Kotla has witnessed plenty of wonderful cricket from the Indians. Feroz Shah Kotla was originally a fortress built by Sultan Ferozshah Tughlaq to house his version of Delhi city called Ferozabad. A pristine polished sandstone pillar from the 3rd century B.C. rises from the palace’s crumbling remains, one of many pillars left by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka; it was moved from Ambala, Punjab and re-erected in its current location in 1356.
Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium Colombo - Colombo, Sri Lanka
The Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium, Colombo was the venue for Sri Lanka's first ever Test match. It was played against England in 1982. The ground is also historical as it was here that Sri Lanka registered their first Test victory. The feat came in 1985, when they beat the world champions India at Colombo's Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium.The stadium is smaller in size than the other Test grounds in Sri Lanka. It has some lower-level stands and some grass banks for the spectators to sit on. The ivy layered giant scoreboard is one of the most famous and attractive features of the ground. Sir Donald Bradman visited this ground in 1948 along with his team, while on their way to England.
Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium Sharjah - Sharjah, UAE
Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium was established in 1984. The rapidity with which the stadium acquired popularity and subsequently- one-day matches, has astounded many. In a short span of 19 years i.e. till 2003, Sharjah Cricket Association Ground had hosted as many as 198 ODIs. The limited over matches in Sharjah Cricket Association Ground were always a part of a tournament involving not less than three teams. Most of the tournaments in Sharjah Cricket Association Ground organized under The Cricketers Benefit Fund Series, which aims at providing a part of the tournament purse to the retired cricketers from India and Pakistan.Sharjah Cricket Association Ground is one of those rare grounds where a test match has been hosted without the participation of the home team. In the wake of 11 September, Pakistan became the hotbed of internal turmoil, thus its cricket team had choose Sharjah Cricket Association ground for its test series against West Indies and later Australia. Sharjah Cricket Association Ground has a seating capacity of 27,000. Of late, hardly and any cricket of consequence has been played in this ground; the newly opened Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi has appropriated the popularity that Sharjah Cricket Association Ground used to enjoy.
Eden Park Auckland - Auckland, New Zealand
Eden Park in Auckland straddles the contrasting world of Rugby and Cricket. In winter it serves as battlefield where Rugby wars are fought, while the breezy summer days get spent in the long days of cricket. The cricket pitch being removable, the transition from one sport to another can be achieved without much ado. Eden Park has been a home ground to Auckland Cricket Club since1910. The first test match in Eden Park was played in 1952. It first hosted its Rugby match in 1925. Eden Park is a present undergoing significant refurbishment in the wake of winning the bidding for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.Eden Park has the largest spectators capacity among the other stadiums in New Zealand. It can currently accommodate over 40,000 people. In recent years two grandstands have been constructed and they lie in apparent harmony with the old pavilion. Eden Park was the venue where New Zealand recorded its first test match victory, which came in 1955-56 against West Indies. Yet, Eden Park was also the ground where New Zealand one of is most humiliating defeats-when it was dismissed for 26 against England in 1955.