The 10 Oldest Cricket Grounds In The World

Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the world. The sport is popular in many countries like India, Pakistan, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Australia, and others. As such, many large stadiums have been built in the countries that play cricket to host the cricket matches. Some of them are integral to the history of the game as many of the historic and decisive matches have been held at these stadiums. Lord's Cricket Ground is the world's oldest cricket ground. Below is a list of 10 of the world’s oldest cricket venues.

10. Galle International Stadium

The Galle International Stadium is located in Sri Lanka. It was established in 1876 making it the world’s tenth oldest cricket ground. It is located close to the Galle fort with the Indian Ocean surrounding it on either side. It is often regarded as one of the world’s most beautiful cricket grounds. The Galle Cricket Club used the stadium as its home ground.

9. Adelaide Oval

Established in 1871, the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, South Australia, is the world’s ninth oldest cricket ground. It is primarily used as a venue to play cricket but other sporting events of football, rugby, tennis, etc., are also held here. Concerts are also hosted at the venue. The Adelaide Oval is known to be the country’s most picturesque Test cricket ground.

8. The Basin Reserve

The Basin Reserve cricket ground is located in Wellington, New Zealand. Many international cricket matches are played at the venue. It is the home ground of the Wellington Firebirds. The ground was established in 1868. It is the country’s oldest cricket ground and thus enjoys a Historic Place status. The Basin Reserve is also used for other purposes like serving as the venue of concerts, social gatherings, and other sporting events.

7. The Eden Gardens

Located in another part of the world in Kolkata, India, the Eden Gardens has a long history dating to 1864 when it was established. It is India’s oldest cricket stadium. The Bengal cricket team and the Kolkata Knight Riders used it as their home ground. Several Test, T20I, and ODI matches have been held at the venue over the years. The Eden Gardens is a massive stadium that has a seating capacity of 68,000.

6. Old Trafford Cricket Ground

The world’s sixth oldest cricket ground, the Old Trafford Cricket Ground, is located in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. The ground was established in 1857. The Lancashire County Cricket Club has used the ground as its home ground since 1864. The ground has hosted 74 Tests since 1884, the third highest number of test matches played at a ground in England. The ground has a seating capacity of 15,000 to 22,000.

5. Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)

The Melbourne Cricket Ground was founded in 1854. It is the world’s biggest cricket stadium. It is located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria and is the home ground of the Melbourne Cricket Club. The MCG often simply referred to as “The G” has hosted many international cricket matches. It has also hosted several events of the 1956 Summer Olympics. It also served as the centerpiece stadium of the 1992 and 2015 Cricket World Cups. Two of the historical matches played at the venue include the first Test (1877) and the first One Day International (1971) matches between Australia and England. The National Sports Museum of Australia is also located here.

4. The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG)

The world’s fourth oldest cricket ground is located in Australia. It is the Sydney Cricket Ground of Sydney, New South Wales that was established in 1848. All types of matches like Test, Twenty20, and One Day International are played here. The Sydney Cricket Ground is also used to play matches of a variety of other sports like association football and rugby union. The New South Wales Blues cricket team used it as their home ground.

3. The Oval

The Oval is a famous cricket ground located in Kennington, Lambeth, London, England. It is the home ground of the Surrey County Cricket Club. The Oval was founded in 1845 and hosted the first international Test cricket match in 1880. According to tradition, every year the English season’s final test match is played at The Oval. It also hosts matches of other sports like football, rugby, etc.

2. Trent Bridge Ground

The world's second oldest cricket ground, the Trent Bridge Ground, is located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. It has been used to play cricket since the 1830s. In 1899, the first test match between England and Australia was held on this ground. Since then, it has hosted numerous County cricket matches, One-day internationals, and Test matches. The Trent Bridge Ground serves as the home ground of the Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. It is regarded as one of the best venues to watch cricket.

1. Lord's Cricket Ground

The Lord's Cricket Ground, often simply referred to as Lord’s, is the world’s oldest cricket ground. It is aptly nicknamed as the “Home of Cricket.” The ground was founded by Thomas Lord, an English professional cricketer, and is named after him. He built a series of three cricket grounds between 1787 and 1814. The first one is now called the Lord's Old Ground and was located in the place of the present-day Dorset Square in Marylebone, London. The second one was used from 1811 to 1813 before it had to be abandoned for the construction of the Regent's Canal. The newest cricket ground established by Lord that is functional even today is located in St John's Wood, London. The Marylebone Cricket Club currently owns the ground. The European Cricket Council and England and Wales Cricket Board are headquartered here. It is the home ground of the Middlesex County Cricket Club.