Cricket: Interesting facts about all the venues for India-England five-match Test series
Headingley Cricket Ground (Leeds)
The first match of India’s five-match Test tour to England gets underway at Headingley on June 20, and we will be covering the fixture with our cricket predictions, so be sure to check them out before the toss.
Back in the early 1900s, it was a common occurrence for sports grounds to be used for multiple sporting events, and Headingley was no different, with football matches frequently staged on the pitch during the cricketing offseason.
In 1932, one such football match left the batting strip badly damaged that the next County Championship match at the venue was almost unplayable, with players having to endure uneven bounce and poor underfoot conditions.
As a result, the Yorkshire County Cricket Club was forced to intervene, setting stricter rules around the use of the pitch for multi-sports use. This proved to be a catalyst for widespread change, with several other venues following suit to ensure the preservation of the playing surface's integrity, specifically for cricket.
Edgbaston Cricket Ground (Birmingham)
Edgbaston has two major pieces of history attached to it, but arguably the most important (and well-known) is that it was the first cricket ground in England to have floodlights installed in 1997, which enabled day-night matches to be played at the venue.
If you’ve ever watched or visited Edgbaston, you likely know that one of the most iconic sections of the ground is known as the Eric Hollies stand, which is famous for its electric atmosphere and colourful characters.
However, do you know how it got its name? Well, the stand is named after bowler Eric Hollies, who denied Donald Bradman a massive record. Bradman played the final match of his Test career at the venue, and Hollies dismissed him for a duck, which prevented the legendary batsman from retiring with a perfect batting average of 100.
Lord’s Cricket Ground (London)
Known as the “Home of Cricket”, Lord’s is steeped in heritage and memories. However, it is also full of fun facts; most notably, it is home to the world’s oldest sporting museum, which also houses the original Ashes urn.
Another quirky fact about the venue is that it has a sloping outfield. While other grounds around the world also have their ups and downs, Lord’s has a 2.5 metre slope from one end to the other, which aids bowling and can make batting an absolute nightmare.
One other piece of trivia about the Home of Cricket is that it operates entirely on renewable energy. Some of the initiatives include wind energy, a rainwater recycling system, solar thermal panels and green walls.
Old Trafford (Manchester)
While the name Old Trafford is synonymous with English Premier League outfit Manchester United, the cricket and football stadiums are not the same. They are both located in Greater Manchester but are separated by a short walk.
Old Trafford has been in existence since the 1800s, but the greatest memory of the venue was created in 1956, when English bowler Jim Laker recorded one of the greatest bowling spells of all time against arch-enemies Australia at the Ashes.
He bagged 19 wickets for just 90 runs in the match, which remains the best bowling figures in Test history to this day. That effort also earned Laker immortality at the venue, with a commemorative plaque installed on the dressing room balcony in honour of his achievement.
The Oval (London)
While Lord’s is widely considered the spiritual home of the Three Lions, purists of the game will know that the Oval arguably has the richest legacy and was one of the most important venues in the history of English cricket.
Indeed, it was at the Oval where the first-ever Test match was played in 1880. Two years later, it hosted its first Ashes, and so began not just one of the greatest cricketing rivalries but one of the fiercest battles in all of sports.
Since then, the Oval has hosted several incredible matches, with one of the most memorable of the modern era coming in 2019, when England and New Zealand tied after the regular innings and a Super Over in the World Cup. England were eventually announced as winners, having struck more boundaries in the match.
