Top Ten Cricket Stadiums

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Cricket has a long and storied history with its origins dating back to the 16th century in southern England. By the 18 ^th century, it had developed in to England’s national sport. It is a bat and ball game with two teams consisting of eleven players. While one team bats, the other fields, and each turn at bat counts as an inning. There are ten outs per inning and 20 innings for a test cricket match, which is played over five days. Two other formats besides test cricket exist, one is ODI (one day international), which is a form of limited overs cricket with both teams playing up to 50 overs; the second is T20, where international teams play 20 overs. T20’s happen every two years, followed by the World Cup of cricket every four years.

Besides England, cricket has become a popular sport in Australia, the West Indies, the Indian subcontinent, and South Africa, along with other neighboring countries. Each country has their own club teams as well as international teams that compete in respective fashion. Given the vast number of teams in both club and international play, there is a large number of cricket stadiums constructed all around the globe.

Here is a list of the top 10 cricket stadiums around the world:

10. Gaddafi Stadium, Pakistan

Located in Lahore, Pakistan, Gaddafi Stadium holds a maximum capacity of 60,000 fans. It is home to the Pakistani international cricket team, the Lahore Lions, as well as the Lahore Eagles. It was the host stadium for the 1996 ICC Cricket World Cup finals with Australia vs. Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka won).

9. Newlands, Cape Town (South Africa)

Established in 1888, Newlands is widely considered one of the most beautiful venues in the world of cricket, and offers great scenery with views of Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak, as well as a breathtaking cricket atmosphere. Evening and twilight matches offer some memorable sights for a maximum capacity of 25,000 spectators. It is home to the Cape Cobras, and held its first ODI match in 1992 when South Africa beat India by six wickets.

8. Old Trafford, Manchester (England)

Not to be confused with the famous soccer stadium of Manchester United, Old Trafford the cricket stadium has an equally storied history. Established in 1854, the stadium seats 25,000 fans and held its first test match between Australia and England in 1884. The cricket stadium is just five miles from the soccer pitch, and has held the third most matches in England after the Lords and Oval parks. It is home to the Lancashire Lightning

7. The WACA, Perth (Australia)

The WACA (Western Australia Cricket Association) is another famous cricket ground in the long history of the game. Built in 1890, this beauty in Western Australia holds 24,500 fans, and is affectionately known by Australians as “the home of cricket.” It is home to the Western Warriors and the Western Fury. It is considered one of the quickest and bounciest pitches in the world of cricket. And with the afternoon sea breezes abound, this has become a pace and swing bowlers paradise.

6. Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (Australia)

This stadium is home to the New South Wales Blues, the Sydney Sixers, and the Australian National Cricket Team. It is owned and operated by SCG Trust and has a maximum capacity of 48,000. Sydney Cricket Grounds was built in 1854, and was the major rugby league venue until renovations expanded its uses.

5. The Wanderers, Johannesburg (South Africa)

Also known as Bidvest Wanderers Stadium, but most famously considered the home of the Highveld Lions. It first opened in 1956 and replaced the Old Wanderers Stadium. It seats 34,000 spectators and was host to the 2003 Cricket World Cup. Some say the greatest match in cricket history was played here between South Africa and Australia, in which 434 points were chased down by the South African side.

4. Eden Gardens, Kolkata (India)

Established in 1864, the Eden Gardens cricket grounds are home to the Bengal cricket team, and the Kolkata Knight Riders. It is the largest cricket stadium in India with a seating capacity of 67,549. It was renovated from a previous design that in 1987, recording 120,000 spectators. It is affectionately known as “cricket’s answer to the Coliseum.” Some of the top batting scores have been recorded in Eden Gardens: 657-1 in 2001, 643-6 in 2010, 633-5 in 1998, and 631-7 in 2011. All of these scores were recorded by the Indian National Cricket Team.

3. Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Melbourne (Australia)

Melbourne Cricket Ground was established in 1854, and is the largest cricket stadium in the world, as well as the 11 ^th largest stadium in the world overall. Most notably, MCG is remembered for the 1956 Summer Olympics, the 2006 Commonwealth Games, and the 1992 Cricket World Cup. It holds 100,024 spectators and recorded 121,696 fans of the 1971 cricket match between Carlton and Collingwood. It is home to the Australian National Cricket Team, the Victorian Bushrangers, and a handful of rugby teams. It is heralded within Victoria as the “Spiritual Home of Australian Sport.”

2. The Oval, Kensington London (England)

Built in 1845, The Oval is home to the Surrey County Cricket Club. It is also the venue for the first FA Cup in 1872, and was the set location for FA Cup finals from 1874 to 1892. The Oval was also host to the first test cricket match for England in 1880. Its maximum capacity is 23,500, and is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall. 20,000 spectators gathered in 1868 for the Aboriginal Cricket Tour of England, the first tour of England by any foreign side.

1. The Lord’s, London (England)

Commonly known as Lord’s, is considered by many to be the “home of cricket.” It is named after its founder, Thomas Lord, is owned by the Marylebone Cricket Club, and is home to the Middlesex County Cricket Club. Lord’s also houses the oldest sports museum in the world, and was established in 1814. Today’s Lord’s grounds are not the original, as Thomas Lord owned and established three grounds between 1787 and 1814. The first ground, known as Lord’s Old Ground, is where Dorset Square now sits. The second ground, or Lord’s Middle Ground, was used from 1811 to 1813 before its abandonment in preparation for the Regent’s Canal. The present Lord’s is set 250 yards to the northwest of the Middle Ground site. It presently holds 28,000 spectators, but renovation plans are in place to expand the venues seating areas.