It is nearly 140 years since the first international Test match was played at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground between hosts Australia, and England. Since then, Test cricket has gone through a huge transformation, and as many as 10 Test nations are currently playing under the affiliation of the International Cricket Council.
Often referred to as the “Home of Cricket”, the Lord’s Cricket Ground has hosted 133 Test matches, the most by any venue. But the Lord’s did not host the first ever Test match on English soil, another ground in London, The Oval, staged England’s first home match in Test cricket.
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Let us have a look at the venues which hosted the inaugural international Test match of each Test playing nation:
#1 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, 1877 (Australia vs England)
Match count: 109
Probably the most iconic cricket ground till date, the Melbourne Cricket Ground boasts of hosting the first ever international cricket match and is still the largest cricket stadium in the world with a capacity of 100,000. It was in the year 1877, that Australia faced off with England in the first ever Test match with Aussie opener Charles Bannerman scoring the first ever century.
Bannerman was unbeaten on 165 when he retired hurt after he injured his index finger with the team’s total at 240 for the loss of 7 wickets. A low scoring match, the hosts outplayed the Englishmen and won the Test match by 45 runs.
The MCG has so far hosted 109 Tests, second only to The Lord’s, which has witnessed 133 matches. Apart from Tests, the mammoth stadium witnessed the first ever One-Day International match in 1971 against their old rivals. The Melbourne Cricket Ground has also hosted two Cricket World Cup finals, one in 1992 and the other in 2015.
#2 The Oval, London, 1872 (England vs Australia)
Match count: 99
The Oval, in England, hosted the fourth international Test match after the first three which was played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The Englishmen registered a win, outclassing their rivals from Down Under by 5 wickets, in a match which saw cricket great W.G. Grace score 152 runs in his debut innings.
In 1872, eight years before the Australia-England tie, it hosted the first ever FA Cup final which was won by Wanderers and was witnessed by 2000 people. Apart from football and cricket, the venue has also staged international rugby matches.
The venue traditionally stages the last Test match of the English cricket season and has been host to three consecutive World Cup semi-final matches in 1975, 1979 and 1983. It can hold a maximum capacity of 26,000 and is the second largest cricket stadium (by capacity) in England.
#3 St. George’s Park, Port Elizabeth, 1889
Match count: 27
St. George’s Park in Port Elizabeth hosted the first Test match played outside Australia and England in the year 1889. The England cricket team paid a visit to the Rainbow Nation and won the first Test with ease in a low-scoring game. Also known as the Crusaders Ground, it is also the home stadium of one of the oldest clubs in South Africa, the Port Elizabeth Cricket Club.
Port Elizabeth was one of the 15 venues selected to host the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup and staged five matches which included three group stage fixtures, one super six game and the crucial semi-final tie between Australia and Sri-Lanka.
#4 Lancaster Park, Christchurch, 1930 (New Zealand vs England)
Match count: 40
Though this stadium is no longer used as a cricket venue in New Zealand, the Lancaster Park has witnessed many international matches over the years including a couple of fixtures during the 1992 ICC Cricket World Cup. The first international match to be played at the Lancaster Oval was in 1930, where the hosts were outplayed by England.
The 2011 Christchurch Earthquake was a major setback for the venue as it was damaged severely, prohibiting further international matches. The venue did not host any matches of the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup as the Hagley Oval replaced it to become the new cricket venue in Christchurch.
#5 Kensington Oval, Bridgetown (Barbados), 1930 (West Indies vs England)
Match count: 51
The historic Kensington Oval is situated in close proximity to the city of Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados. The ground played host to the first ever Test match on Caribbean soil in 1930 when England toured the West Indies.
Clifford Roach scored a century in the first innings after the West Indies won the toss and chose to bat, taking their total to 369. The visitors replied strongly, scoring 467 runs by virtue of Andy Sandham’s 152-run innings, but the high-scoring match ended in a draw.
The Kensington Oval has played host to many memorable matches over the span of more than 80 years and also boasts of having staged the final of the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup. Australia claimed their 4th cricket World Cup in that final which saw left-hander Adam Gilchrist score a blistering century in front of more than 28,000 spectators.
#6 Bombay Gymkhana Ground, Mumbai, 1932 (India vs England)
Match count: 1
The Bombay Gymkhana has played host to only one Test match, but nonetheless, it was a memorable one as it was the first ever international match on Indian soil. On 15th December 1933, England played the first ever match hosted by India and the visitors cruised to a 9-wicket victory.
CK Nayudu led the Indian side and decided to bat first after winning the toss only to see the hosts being bundled out for 219 runs. In reply, the Englishmen made a mammoth 438 runs in the first innings with a century from Brian Valentine.
Indian batsman Lala Amarnath scored the first ever century by an Indian in the second innings of the match, but it was not enough to save the Test match as the English reached the target of 40 runs at the loss of just one wicket. Officially built to hold 15,000, the Bombay Gymkhana Ground was installed with temporary stands for the historic Test and as many as 50,000 people were present during the match.
#7 Bahawal Stadium, Bahawalpur,1955 (Pakistan vs India)
Match count: 1
The Bahawal Stadium hosted the first ever Test match on Pakistan soil, though the first ever home match played by the Pakistani team was at the Bangabandhu Stadium, Dhaka, which is now a part of Bangladesh. Arch rivals India made a trip across the country for a 5-match series, the second of which was hosted by the 15,000-capacity Bahawal Stadium, also locally known as the Dring Stadium, named after the second Prime Minister of Bahawalpur, Sir John Dring.
Unfortunately, the match at the ground, along with the other four Test matches ended in a draw. Similar to India’s Bombay Gymkhana Ground, this particular match was the one and only international fixture the Bahawal Stadium ever witnessed, but went on to host first-class matches regularly.
#8 P. Sara Oval, Colombo, 1982 (Sri Lanka vs England)
Match count: 20
The Lankan Lions came into international cricket after a long gap following Pakistan’s entry in 1955; the Island nation played its first Test match in Colombo. The Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium or popularly known as the P. Sara Oval, hosted the first ever Test match featuring the Sri Lankan cricket team in 1982 but they ended on the losing side, losing the match to England by 7 wickets.
Holding a capacity of 15,000, the ground is named after Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, a former civil servant and the first President of the Board of Control for Cricket in Ceylon. The home of the Tamil Nadu Cricket and Athletic Club, the P. Sara Oval had been hosting matches regularly until 1994, after which it was not given a match for 8 years.
In 2002, the historic ground played host again to a Test match between Australia and Pakistan. The last Test match played at this venue was in October 2015.
#9 Harare Sports Club, Harare, 1992 (Zimbabwe vs India)
Match count: 34
Zimbabwe is the second nation from Africa to attain Test status, though they made an entry to the international stage in 1983 when they played the ICC Cricket World Cup. Zimbabwe won the 1982 ICC Trophy to qualify for the showpiece event the following year.
But it was only in 1992 that the nation was eligible to play Test cricket. The Harare Sports Club was the host for Zimbabwe's inaugural Test match and visitors India were given a hard time as the match ended in a draw. It was a great effort by the debutants as they denied the mighty Indians a victory in their maiden Test match.
Apart from this ground, the Queens Sports Park in Bulawayo has been the venue which has staged international fixtures. 34 Test matches have been played at the Harare Sports Club so far and it was even been part of the 2003 ICC Cricket World during which three matches were played here.
#10 Bangabandhu Stadium, Dhaka, 2000 (Bangladesh vs India)
Match count: 17
The Bangabandhu Stadium in Dhaka is a very special venue for the Asian nation, as it not only hosted the national cricket team’s first home match against neighbours India, but also staged the opening ceremony of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Bangladesh is the 10th nation to attain Test status and played their first Test match at this iconic venue which they lost by 9 wickets. Since then, the Bangla Tigers have shown steady progress in the international stage and is currently a formidable side who could pose a threat to any Test playing nation.
Though the Bangabandhu Stadium hosted many memorable matches in the history of Bangladesh Cricket, the last cricket match played at this venue was in 2005. In that year, the stadium was handed over for the use of the Bangladesh national football team. Earlier, the venue had a capacity of 55,000 but was reduced to 35,000 after recent upgradations.
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