Introduction
Cricket is among Australia’s most popular sports together with others like rugby and horseracing. This is at both domestic and international levels. Unlike other local sports that are common in Australia, cricket’s interest is in all parts. Both amateur and professional cricket is managed by Cricket Australia, the country’s cricket administrative body.
Australia has several cricket grounds. Here are the top popular grounds used in hosting cricket matches.
- The Melbourne Cricket Ground.
This cricket ground lies at Yarra Park in Melbourne,Victoria.It is the home ground for the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is famed for being 11th-biggest stadium in the world and definitely the largest in Australia. The MCG is just a walking distance from the city Centre. It is incorporated in the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct.
Internationally, it is famous as it was the main stadium for the 1956 Summer Olympics, Commonwealth Games 2006 and the Cricket World Cup, 1992.This stadium has also held other events like, International Rules,FIFA World Cup qualifiers and International Friendlies among others.
When it comes to capacity, it is until the inception of safety legislation that the maximum capacity was regulated to approximately to 100,024 inclusive of a 5000 standing capacity.
- The Sydney Cricket Ground.
Owned and managed by SCG Trust, this ground is in Sydney, Australia. It is used frequently for Test cricket, Twenty20, One Day Internationals and Australian Rules football. It is the home to 3 clubs New South Wales Blues cricket team and 2 other teams though not cricket teams. It is owned and operated by the SCG Trust that also manages the Sydney Football Stadium located next door. It has a capacity of 44,000.
- Adelaide Oval.This stadium is found in Adelaide, South Australia. The stadium is commonly used for cricket and football, among other games. Its record crowd during a cricket game hit 50,962 in 1933.It is the headquarters of the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) and South Australian National Football League (SANFL) .It is managed by the Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority (AOSMA). It has a capacity of 53,583.
- The Gabba.The Brisbane Cricket Ground commonly known as The Gabba is located in Brisbane, Queensland’s capital. This stadium has a capacity of 42,000. Over the years, The Gabba is known for hosting athletics,baseball,Australian Rules football,cricket,etc.It is managed by Stadiums Queensland.
- WACA Ground
The WACA Ground is located in Perth, Western Australia and is owned by the Western Australian Cricket Association. The WACA ground has been the hub of cricket in Western Australia and its 1st test match was played in 1970.It is the home ground of the Western Warriors and the Perth Scorchers. It also hosts the Western Fury which plays in the Women’s National Cricket League.
WACA’s pitch is considered among the quickest and bounciest worldwide blended with an exceptionally fast outfield. The 2 combinations during afternoon sea-breezes have historically favored swing and pace bowlers.
5.Bellerive Oval.
Also known as Blundstone Arena, the Bellerive is basically a stadium for cricket and Australian Rules football. Located in Bellerive,Clarence,it is the only venue in Tasmania that hosts international cricket matches, it has a capacity 16,000.
It is home to the Tasmanian Tigers and a venue for top international Test matches. It was redeveloped to include: state-of-the-art indoor nets,Members Area that boasts of press and radio media places,TCA offices among other convenience features.
Conclusion.
These 5 are not the only popular cricket stadiums in Australia. There are other cricket grounds like TCA,Devonport Oval, and St. Kildas Cricket Ground etc.For cricket lovers in other parts of the world, you can consider travelling to Australia for a cricket match in one of these cricket grounds. Just apply for an Australian visa and visit Australia for a cricket match.
