Edgbaston Cricket Ground
.jpg)
Edgbaston Cricket Ground (Twitter)
One of the greatest rivalries in cricket will commence when England and Australia clash in the upcoming 'The Ashes 2023', which begins tomorrow at the iconic Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham. Edgbaston will play host to the first Test of the five-match series, which will decide where the coveted urn ends up, which is currently in possession of Australia, having won the 2021-2022 Ashes.
Edgbaston Cricket Ground History
One of the oldest, yet second-youngest cricketing stadiums in England, Edgbaston was established back in 1882. However, the first Test played here was in 1902, between England and Australia.
It has been home to Warwickshire County Cricket Club (WCCC) since 1882, and hosted its first FC match against MCC, which was watched by 3,000 people.
Lack of amenities saw Edgbaston host merely four Tests in its first 27 years of international cricket, but with new state-of-the-art facilities in 1957, the stadium blossomed into a cricketing center like none other. It played host to Britain's first-ever day-night cricket match in 1997, and since then has added 5 permanent floodlights to attract cricket fans.
The third and final renovation started in the late 1990s with the opening of the Eric Hollies Stand in 2001, increasing the overall ground capacity increasing to 25,000, and ended with the building of the West Stand in 2011.
The Edgbaston Cricket Ground has hosted 56 Tests, 65 One-Day International (ODI), and 23 T20 Internationals (T20I) till date.
Edgbaston Cricket Ground Major Matches
Edgbaston has played host to numerous cricket matches, some of which have etched their names in the history book for generations to read.
- England Women's won their maiden 50-overs World Cup by beating Australia by 92 runs at Edgbaston back in 1973.
- West Indies Brian Charles Lara registered the highest-ever First-Class score (501*) while playing for Warwickshire against Durham in 1994.
- The semi-Finals of the ICC World Cup 1999 between Australia and South Africa ends in a tie, the Steve Waugh-led side qualifies for the final due to a better net run rate.
- India wins ICC Champions Trophy 2013 title, beating England in a rain-truncated final.
- Edgbaston hosted UK's first-ever Day-Night Test, which was played between England and West Indies in 2018.
- England plays its 1,000 Test match in 2018 and beat India by a narrow margin of 32 runs.
- Australia Women wins gold medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games (CWG), beating India in a nail-biting final.
As a venue, Edgbaston has often been at the forefront of change in cricket, adapting to new ideas and showcasing a progressive mindset. From hosting women's cricket, to attracting fans into the stadium post work, the authorities at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground have pushed the boundaries forward for the ECB.
Edgbaston Cricket Ground: A Spectacular Venue
Edgbaston Stadium view from Barnes Stand [Source: Twitter]
The Edgbaston Cricket Ground has a blend of both old-world charm and modern sleekness. The stadium holds as many as eight stands — South Stand, West Stand, Priory Stand, Raglan Stand, R. E. S. Wyatt Stand, Scrivens Stand, Stanley Barnes Stand, and Eric Hollies Stand.
Barnes Stand, which opened in 1989, is situated in front of the stadium's most iconic landmark, the Thwaite Memorial Scoreboard.
The crowd at Edgbaston has often been described as loud and most electric, during home matches. With a dedicated non-alcholic stand during international matches, fans can come in large numbers and enjoy the cricket with family.
The stadium hosts of plenty other facilities as well, which consist of a Visitor & Learning Centre, Museum and Library, and Cotls' Ground.
The visitor and learning centre highlights the rich history of the stadium since its inception via various audio and visual formats, which includes interactive match scenarios from domestic and international cricket.
Edgbaston also boasts as one of the largest outdoor event spaces in Birmingham, which is the Edgbaston Plaza, spacing across 14,800 square meters, where large-scale events like outdoor markets, cinema, and cultural festivals can happen.
Edgbaston Cricket Ground Capacity
In 2013, Edgbaston made history as the inaugural English venue, other than Lord's, to host a significant international one-day tournament final—the ICC Champions Trophy final. With seating capacity for around 25,000 spectators, it ranks as England's fourth-largest cricket venue, following Lord's, Old Trafford, and The Oval.
Edgbaston Cricket Ground Weather
Historically, the conditions at Birmingham is sunny, hot, and muggy during summers, while winters are cold and wet, with cloud cover around the clock all across the year.
It is important to know the weather forecast, before travelling to Edgbaston for a match, given the unpredictability of rain in the UK.
As far as cricket is concerned, the stadium is quite open, which allows breeze bowling across the ground, keeping the bowlers in the hunt. The strip in the middle can get baked under the sun, thus making the toss very crucial.
Edgbaston address
Edgbaston Rd, Birmingham B5 7QU, UK
Apart from Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham also provides fans with several other attractions in and around the vicinity of the stadium such as Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Cadbury World, Wildlife Conservation Park, Library of Birmingham, and National SEA LIFE Centre.
 "Vishal Mehra")
