The Top 5 Most Instantly Recognisable Cricket Grounds

Whether it’s because of beautiful scenery (Newlands we’re looking at you), or stunning architectural features (Lords we’re looking at you), multiple different factors make these shortlisted cricket grounds so easily identifiable, stadiums you could see an image of and instantly pinpoint.

Read on to discover the top 5 most instantly recognisable cricket grounds on the planet, as well as the household names that missed the cut.

Newlands, South Africa

Table Mountain looming over Newlands, Source: Krishna, Flickr

Famed for being one of the world’s most beautiful cricket stadiums, the iconic view of Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak provide a stunning backdrop to this picturesque cricket ground.

Spectators can recline on the grass banks, basking in the heat of the Cape Town sun, or sit in one of the shaded pavilions.

The stadium is traditionally the host of South Africa’s New Year test match, one of the biggest fixtures in the Proteas’ sporting calendar.

Historically, few matches played at the ground fail to deliver a result, but even if the cricket isn’t gripping, there’s always the mesmerising backdrop, right?

Galle, Sri Lanka

Originally created as a racecourse, the stadium hosted its first international match in 1998 but cricket had been played at the ground throughout the 20^th century.

Two sides of the ground overlook the sparkling Indian Ocean, but sadly the beautiful stadium was devasted by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, prompting a number of renovations.

Galle's Indian Ocean location

Aside from its seaside location, Galle’s UNESCO world heritage listed Dutch Fort presides over the ground, its magnificent stone walls and famous clock tower providing an alternate vantage point to watch the cricket from.

Lords, England

Ah, Lords. The home of cricket itself. A place steeped in history. Few places are as magical as the Middlesex ground and a trip to Lords is one few will forget.

While many stadiums have lost their character as they’ve been renovated to support larger crowds, Lords has managed to retain its charm and elegance, with the futuristic media centre becoming almost as iconic as the historic pavilion opposite.

For many cricketers, nothing beats having your name placed on the Lords Honours Board and numerous lovers of the sport grow up dreaming of playing on the hallowed turf there.

The Oval

Whilst its better-known West London brother Lords may grab most cricket lovers' attention, few sights in cricket are as widely recognised as the gasholders behind the Oval.

Adjacent to the ground, the gasholders have become a famous part of the Oval’s backdrop and despite gasholders traditionally being viewed as eyesores, the ones next to the stadium have been heritage listed and are now protected after plans made for their destruction were met with sadness and outrage by cricket lovers.

The fancy redeveloped stands paired with the 19^th century pavilion adds to the ground’s appeal.

It is also a stadium of firsts; England’s inaugural test match on home soil took place here as well as the country’s first ever international football match against arch rivals Scotland. More bizarrely, ice skating has taken place at the Oval, but nowadays the ground is used almost entirely for cricket.

Aside from sport, the ground has hosted prisoners during the second world war and (on a cheerier note) numerous rock concerts.

The SCG, Australia

While the Adelaide Oval and the MCG have become almost unrecognisable after large renovations in recent times, the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) has managed to keep its heritage and charm as well as increasing its modern facilities.

The gorgeous cast-iron Members pavilion and Ladies pavilion are truly stunning, one of cricket’s greatest sights, and are the only surviving grandstands from the four that were originally created at the ground. Atop the charming green framework of the Members stand lies the iconic clock tower and alongside it four flags swaying gently in the breeze.

Although the famous SCG Hill has disappeared, the swanky modern stands provide a striking contrast to the two heritage listed pavilions they reside next to.

While many Australian cricket grounds have opted to use drop in pitches to cater more for the needs of AFL (Aussie Rules Football), the SCG has stayed true to its cricketing roots and retained its middle wicket.

But where’s the MCG? Or the Adelaide Oval? Surely they should be on this list?

Some may be shocked to see world famous grounds such as the MCG or the Adelaide Oval being left out of this list; two places that consistently take up top 5 spots in rankings of the world’s best cricket grounds.

But the truth is, although the Adelaide Oval may still have its famous scoreboard and renowned hill, most of the ground’s grass banks and even its pavilion have made way for characterless high capacity stands.

The MCG is little more than a giant metal bowl; spectacular on the rare occasions when it is packed to the rafters, but when a third full like it is most of the time, it is little more than row after row of empty plastic seats.

Similar to the Adelaide Oval, the MCG looked a very different stadium in days gone by, whereas the stadiums that made this list have all managed to retain the features that have made them so instantly recognisable throughout the years.

As ever, thanks for reading and stay tuned for more top notch cricket articles.