Amazing Small Cricket Stadiums
Not all stadiums have to be giant and full to capacity to create a great vibe. Some stadiums create an atmosphere based on their unique surroundings and features even with a small crowd. We have explored some amazing cricket stadiums, with capacities of less than 25,000.
Arnos Vale Stadium
Location: Arnos Vale, St. Vincent
Capacity: 18,000
Home teams:
West Indies cricket team
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines national football team
Avenues United FC
Mostly used for football and cricket matches, Arnos Vale (or more commonly known as the Playing Fields) is located in the south of St.Vincent, a short distance from the capital, Kingstown. The stadium is situated on the island’s coast providing postcard-like views of the Caribbean and if you’re lucky, you might catch some of the cricket action from a luxury yacht.
Although the home of the Westward Islands Cricket team is not a regular venue for West Indies’ test matches, it has seen its fair share of One-Day International games since 1981. The venue has proved to be a fortress for the host nation with the West Indies winning 18 out of 23 games played. However, it has not always been a happy outings for the West Indies, Arnos Vale was the scene of one of their most humiliating defeats in 2009 when Bangladesh beat them by 95 runs. Hurricane season almost saved the home side with the rain nearly being called off due to rain. Ironically, drainage installed for the 2007 World Cup allowed play to proceed and Bangladesh to claim victory.
Basin Reserve
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Capacity: 11,600
Home team: Wellington Firebox
Usually, earthquakes are bad news for cricket stadiums, causing damage to arenas such as Narol Cricket Ground in Pakistan and Hagley Oval in Christchurch, but not in this case. On January 23rd, 1855 an earthquake of 8.2 magnitude (the most powerful in New Zealand’s history) actually created the Basin Reserve. Prior to the earthquake the area was a lagoon with plans to link it to the Cook Strait by a canal, however, the damage was so so significant, the area was raised by 2m (6.6 feet) and became a swamp. Plans for a canal we were abandoned and it was decided to use the area for recreational purposes, in particular cricket.
The first event here was held on January 11th, 1868 between the Wellington Volunteers and the crew of HMS Falcon, which was docked in Wellington. Its first first-class game was held in 1873 followed by an international match against an All England XI in 1877. In 1925, what is now known as the Old Grandstand was constructed which houses a reference library and the New Zealand Cricket Museum.
Blundstone Arena
Location: Hobart, Australia
Capacity: 20,000
Home teams:
Australia national cricket team (Cricket)
Tasmanian Tigers (Cricket)
Clarence Roos (TSL)
Hobart Hurricanes (BBL, WBBL)
North Melbourne Football Club (AFL)
Flanked by the River Derwent and towered over by Mount Wellington, Blundstone Arena (also known as Bellerive Oval) is the home to a rich cricketing history. Records show that cricket was played as early as 1806 (approximately 3 years after European settlement). However, matches took place in the harsh winter months of June and July because it reminded homesick British settlers of the cricket that was being played back home at the same time.
By the 1850s, cricket was well established as Tasmania took part in the first ever first-class game in Australia against Victoria at Launceston. In 1914, Bellerive was built more as a recreational facility. Since then not much had changed to the formation of the stadium. During this time, the ground had a hump in the centre of the playing area, meaning that only the top half of players visible from the other side of the ground. Facilities were limited to a shed for players located where the main pavilion now stands and only a concrete pitch for juniors.
In 1986 a refurbished Bellerive Oval was reopened after being shortlisted with two other locations for a $2.2 million redevelopment. As a result, the new facilities have produced some of the world’s best cricketers including David Boon and Ricky Ponting and three Sheffield Shield titles for Tasmania.
Boland Bank Park
Location: Paarl, South Africa
Capacity: 10,000
Home team: Paarl Rocks
Boland, meaning ‘land above’ or ‘top country’ in Afrikaans is a region in the Western Province approximately 60 kilometres (37 miles) east of Cape Town. Its nearest major town, Paarl has a population of about 200,00 and is famous for producing a variety of wines which have been blended in five distinct local climatic areas for over 350 years.
Boland Park is overlooked by the Boland mountain complex which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, of which some of the peaks reach 2,000 metres (6,560 feet). The park’s picturesque settings offers spectators lovely grassed hills and ample amounts of shade from trees to relax on while watching a match.
Although there are yet to be any international test matches held here, a number of ODIs have taken place including its first ODI between Zimbabwe and India in 1997. The sides included the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Heath Streak. The match ended in a dramatic tie and is yet to be replicated to this day.
Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium
Location: Gros Islet, St Lucia
Capacity: 20,000
Previously known as the Beausejour Cricket Ground after the nearby Beausejour hills, the ground is named after the Saint Lucian captain of the West Indies which won the 2016 World Twenty20 Cup, Darren Sammy.
The region of St Lucia and the Windward islands are not a powerhouse even in Caribbean Cricket, but the stadium is highly regarded for its features. Fund by cash from the island’s lottery, the stadium sits in north-eastern end of the tourist resort of Rodney Bay and is close to the town of Gros Islet on the scenic Castries-Gros Islet Highway. The venue can hold almost 20,000 people and features a lounge, balcony, conference room and a gym for each team within the pavilion. To top it off, the outfield is described by many as a ‘perfectly lush-green oval’.
Within the first year of opening, the stadium hosted four test matches including a knock of 209 by Brian Lara against Sri Lanka. The stadium has also hosted test greats such as Kumar Sangakkara, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Kevin Pietersen and Muttiah Muralitharan.
Hagley Oval
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
Capacity: 8,000
Home team: Canterbury
Situated among the beautiful surroundings in the centre of the city of Christchurch near the prize-winning Christchurch Botanic Gardens and the Avon River, Hagley Oval is truly an amazing place to watch cricket. The area was settled by the British in 1850 and a cricket club was formed a short time after. The first recorded cricket match took place in 1867 between home team, Canterbury and Otago. The venue was used infrequently between then and the 1920s, however, they barely stopped during World War I.
For much of its existence, Hagley Oval took second priority to nearby Lancaster Park (also home to the All-Blacks). From 1930 to 2006, Lancaster Park hosted 40 test matches, however, after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake in 2011, the venue had to cease hosting sports events (including all seven allocated Rugby World Cup matches) due to significant damage.
Due to its size, Canterbury applied to hold 2015 Cricket World Cup games at Hagley Oval. In 2013, after a lengthy legal process, the venue was chosen as the replacement site for cricket and subsequently awarded the honour of the opening match for the world cup between New Zealand and Sri Lanka in front of a full house. In 2016 and the ground hosted its second test match against Australia which will be remembered for Brendan McCallum’s fastest ever test century from 54 balls.
Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium
Location: Dharamsala Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, India
Capacity: 23,000
Home teams:
Indian Cricket Team
Himachal Pradesh Cricket Team
Kings XI Punjab
A trip to Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium will require a little more planning that an average visit to a cricket venue. The drive from Chandigarh airport will take between 5-6 hours full of unpaved, bumpy roads. But the effort is worth it, no one who goes to HPCA Stadium is disappointed by the beauty of the Dhauladhar mountains. The section of the Himalayas overlook the venue, treating spectators to views of snow capped peaks with heights of approximately 5,600 metres (18,370 feet).
The ground itself sits at 1,457 metres (4,780 feet) above sea level making it the highest international cricket ground in the world. It also features a stunning red pagoda pavilion that stands out immediately upon entering the venue.
The town of Dharamsala where the stadium is situated is best known as the home of the Dalai Lama. In 2010, he held a ‘spiritual dialogue’ with the players of home side, Kings XI Punjab before an Indian Premier League (IPL) game. Unfortunately, they still lost.
ODIs have been held at the stadium since 2013 with the first between India and England on January 27th and and it also hosted several games during the 2016 T20 World Cup. To add to this impressive venue, India also hosted a test match against Australia in 2017.
Narol Cricket Stadium
Location: Muzzaffarabad, Pakistan
Capacity: N/A
Home team: Muzzaffarabad Cricket Club
In October 2005, an earthquake struck the Azad Kashmir region of north-eastern Pakistan, killing approximately 80,000 people. It’s devastating impacts were described as worse than the previous year’s Indonesia Tsunami. In Muzzaffarabad, about 64 kilometers (40 miles) from the epicentre, many buildings were damaged or destroyed. Included in the destruction was the Narol Cricket Stadium which was also converted into a field hospital.
While sport was not the priority in the aftermath of the earthquake, the stadium had become overgrown with weeds with rusted and unpainted grandstands. Some years later in 2011 thanks to the great and good work of the cricketing world, the amphitheatre-like stadium was resurrected as a cricketing venue. By 2013, the stadium had completed its facelift with organised league and local cricket returning to the venue.
New Road
Location: Worcester, England
Capacity: 5,500
Home team: Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Located near the River Severn, flowing just beyond the boundary fence and overlooked by the magnificent Worcester Cathedral, New Road cricket ground resembles a postcard image on a clear day. However, the two adjacent landmarks can also prove to be detrimental. The River Severn regularly overflows its banks during winter causing significant flooding. With over 150 floods in the history of the club, Worcestershire has come to accept the misfortune and hope for some fine weather to clear it up within a couple of weeks. In some cases such as a flood in 2007, the impact was so bad that the club was unable to play there for the rest of the season.
The Cathedral came into effect a Gloucestershire off-spinner Bryan ‘Bober’ Wells was playing in the 1950s. The bowler had notices that the clock on the cathedral was about to strike midday, he cheekily decided to try and complete the over before the clock had finished chiming. Bomber bowled off the shortest run imaginable with the batsman patting each ball back to him, about half a minute later, the over was complete with the clock still chiming. His captain was not impress and subsequently dropped him for the next two games.
The venue has hosted several men’s and women’s ODIs including the West Indies against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup.
Newlands Cricket Ground
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Capacity: 25,000
Home teams:
The Cape Cobras
Capetown Blitz
Opened in 1888, Newlands Stadium (Known as PPC Newlands for sponsorship reasons) is the home of Cape Cobras, who play in the Sunfoil Series, Momentum 1 Day Cup and RamSlam Pro20 competitions. It is also the venue for One-Day International, Twenty-Twenty and Test match cricket fixtures.
When cricket first arrived at Newlands, this region has vastly covered with pine trees. The Western Province Cricket Club took out a 25 year lease on the site in 1888 which cost £100. Each member donated £25 each to raise enough funds to build a pavillion (£350). The ground was leveled and opened with a two-day match between Mother Country and Colonial Born which went on to become a regular fixture.
Five years after test cricket began at Lord’s, Newlands hosted its first test match between South Africa and England which ended in victory to England by an innings and 202 runs. The match may not have been memorable, but the location certainly left a lasting impression.
Sitting at the base of Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak it is regarded as one of the most beautiful cricket grounds in the world. Mark Nicholas stated that “there is nothing quite like the moods that the mountain is able to project on to Newlands, from the flint of the sun on the rock faces to the cascade of clouds off its summit.” A statement which many who see the venue would agree with.
North Marine Road Ground
Location: Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England
Capacity: 11,500
Home teams:
Scarborough Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Formed in 1849, Scarborough Cricket Club moved from Castle Hill to North Marine Road 1863 and have call the venue home ever since. In addition to two one-day internationals, North Marine Road has hosted Yorkshire League fixtures, County Championship matches, One-day games and the famous Scarborough Cricket Festival, which has been held annually (except for the years during the two World Wars) since 1876.
Located on the east coast of England, Scarborough is a popular spot for holidaymakers who can usually see star players while easily accessing nearby shops, beaches and arcades. North Marine Road ground and its facilities have often been rated higher than Test venues such as Edgbaston, Old Trafford, the Oval and Headingley.
Pukekura Park
Location: New Plymouth, North Island, New Zealand
Capacity: N/A
Home team: Central Distinct Stag Cricket Club
Playing and watching cricket at Pekekura Park demands so much attention because of all the beautiful and distraction surroundings. The Park is one of four homes of the Central District Stags, one of New Zealand’s six first-class teams that compete in the Plunket Shield.
When founded in 1876, the park was barren and full of swamps and it wasn’t until 1892 when cricket was first played here. The park features an array of exotic flowers, plants and trees, somewhere within the grounds is a 2,000 year old Puriri tree along with Japanese and Chinese gardens.
The grassed terraces resemble a pyramid or a ziggurat built by the Aztecs. Although the venue missed out on hosting a 2015 World Cup match due to lack of sufficient infrastructure, it has hosted an ODI back in 1992 between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Many people have described Pukekura Park as one of the best cricket grounds in the world. With scenery like this, it is hard to argue the contrary.
Queenstown Event Centre
Location: Queenstown, New Zealand
Capacity: 19,000
Home team: Queenstown Cricket Club
Regarded as one of the most spectacular cricket grounds in the world, Queenstown Event Centre sits at the foot of the Remarkables mountain range and the shores of Lake Wakatipu, regions which were famously used as locations for filming Lord of the Rings. Spectators are treated to breathe taking 360 degree views of the scenic background which are often disrupted by large aircraft landing at or taking off from the nearby international airport.
The venue has hosted several ODIs, it has never been favorable to administrators who select test venues, it even missed out on hosting a 2015 World Cup match. Although the venue may not be up to par to host test matches, it is very well used by the Queenstown Cricket Club. The facilities feature four turf wickets, two artificial wickets and both indoor and out door practice facilities, the venue also makes the people’s top 10 lists of beautiful cricket grounds.
Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium
Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Capacity: 20,000
Home team: Abu Dhabi Cricket Club
When the threat of terrorism put a stop to domestic test matches in Pakistan, Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium (named after the former president of United Arab Emirates) in Abu Dhabi was the best alternative venue. Just a short two-and-a-half-hour flight from Karachi and more importantly, a spinner’s paradise, the venue serves as a perfect home away from home for Pakistan. It’s understandable that they are unbeaten in the eight tests they have played there.
Located approximately 30 minutes from the city virtually in the middle of the desert, the stadium features a grandstand which resembles a cricket cap and three towers supporting it at the centre which symbolise cricket stumps. Apart from the international matches, the stadium is a thriving venue for the development of local cricket and hosts numerous amateur matches each year.
Despite the impressive designs, the stadium has been widely criticised for its lack of atmosphere, Test crowds are almost non-existent because the local Pakistani population cannot attend matches on work days.
Spitfire Ground
Location: St Lawrence, Canterbury, England
Capacity: N/A
Home team: Kent County Cricket Club
The home of Kent County Cricket Club was also home to the famous lime tree, one of only three trees which stood within the boundary of a ground where first-class cricket has been played. The other grounds being at City Oval in Piertermaritzburg, South Africa and the VRA Cricket Ground in Amstelveen, Netherlands. Sadly, tree was blown down in 2005 during a storm.
When Kent began playing at St Lawrence’s the Spitfire Ground in 1847, the lime tree was already mature. While it seemed that everyone was happy to play ‘around’ the tree, it was sometimes the cause of dispute, eventually, rules were introduced especially for the tree. A batsman could not be caught out when rebounding off the tree or its branches. If struck by the ball, even on the full, four runs would be awarded. The boundary and the tree had be be cleared (140 metres or 460 feet) to score a six.
Only four batsmen were able to achieve the task of clearing the tree including the West Indies international and Kent player, Carl Hooper in 1992. Since being blown over, a replacement tree was planted outside of the field of play.
Stanford Cricket Ground
Location: Osbourn, Antigua & Barbuda
Capacity: 5,000
Home team: Not in use
Although the Coolidge Cricket Ground (once known as the Stanford Cricket Ground) features a backdrop of Antigua’s VC Bird International Airport along with lush hills and old sugar mills, this venue makes our list due to the bizarre business activities which have taken place here.
In 2004, the venue which was known that the time as, Airport Cricket Ground, was taken over by enthusiastic American businessman, Allen Stanford (hence Stadnford Cricket Ground). With a significant injection of finances, the stadium and Antigua’s wider area became a hub which promoted Stanford’s business interests.
Visitors arriving at the nearby airport landed at Stanford’s private terminal and were quickly ushered away from the formalities of immigration and found their way to one of his smoothly operated organisations. At one stage, it is estimated that he employed 10 per cent of the island’s labour. In 2006, the Antiguan government rewarded him with a knighthood.
In 2008, Stanford invested approximately $70 million for England, West Indies and two other teams to play a Twenty20 tournament in Antigua. After a lack of interest from other major cricket-playing countries, Trinidad and Tobago and Middlesex were brought in to make up the numbers. The tournament could only be described as a flop, remembered a less than average final and Stanford hogging the TV air time, chatting up the wives and girlfriends of the England cricket team from his VIP stand. None of the remaining four series were ever played.
In 2009, Stanford became the subject of several fraud investigations, in 2010 his knighthood was revoked and in 2012 he was convicted on almost all charges and sentenced to 110 years in jail. The impact on the Antiguan economy was disastrous as many lost jobs and investments. The stadium and its two-storey set of cricket stumps guarding the front and oversized set of crossed cricket bats now appear to be derelict with few cricket matches being played their since the 2008 tournament.