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It’s one of English cricket’s oldest and most important venues. Edgbaston is a regular host of international games, and it is used regularly on the domestic calendar for the T20 Blast Finals.
Any touring team is likely to play here, while travellers from other countries should also look to pay a visit to Edgbaston. Here’s an essential guide to this famous stadium.
History of Edgbaston Cricket Ground
Having been founded in 1882, Warwickshire County Cricket Club were looking for a new home. They considered a number of locations around the city of Birmingham before identifying land on the Calthorpe Estate.
The land was developed into the Edgbaston Ground, and it was opened in that same year – 1882. It’s been Warwickshire’s main home ever since, and the facilities were quickly identified as being suitable for international cricket.
Edgbaston was awarded its first test match in 1902 when England hosted the touring Australians. In order to accommodate the game, developers had to erect a new permanent stand, two temporary stands, and a press area.
From that point onwards, Edgbaston became a regular venue for test matches. One Day International Cricket was born in the early 1970s, and Edgbaston hosted its first ODI in 1972. T20 international cricket followed here in 2010 when Australia played Pakistan in the World Cup.
Edgbaston continues to host important international games, and it’s now a regular home for the T20 Blast Finals Day.
Capacity and Dimensions
Edgbaston Cricket Ground currently has an official capacity of 25,000. It’s one of the largest grounds in England, and its size makes it an ongoing home for test matches and other international games.
While this is the fourth largest cricket ground in the UK in terms of capacity, Edgbaston’s playing area is relatively small. The boundaries on the straight sides can measure as little as 55 metres when they are brought in for limited overs games.
On the square sides of Edgbaston, there are boundaries that can come in at around 60 metres which is still relatively small. This all adds up to an intimate atmosphere where the crowds are close to the action. Those dimensions are, however, extended for test and first class cricket.
It also means that Edgbaston can be a high scoring ground in all formats, and there have been some impressive team totals and individual scores made here over the years.
How to find Edgbaston
Edgbaston is located in Birmingham which is England’s second largest city. It’s in the Midlands region of the country and is specifically situated in the Edgbaston suburb.
Edgbaston district runs to the south west of Birmingham, and it is close to the city centre. It has good transport connections, and the M6 motorway is the main route for those travelling by car. The ground is also well served by rail and bus networks.
Tickets and Seating Plan
In order to see test matches, limited overs internationals, T20 Blast Finals Day and other big games at Edgbaston, it’s necessary to buy tickets in advance. The Edgbaston official website is the best place to go for those purchases, with guaranteed tickets, and booking fees at a minimum.
For first class county games, it should be fine to turn up on the day, but those tickets can also be bought in advance.
The liveliest place to sit at Edgbaston has to be the Eric Hollies Stand. This is where England’s notorious Barmy Army likes to base itself, and it’s one of the noisiest sections in world cricket.
Edgbaston has quieter areas for those who like to sit away from the noise. Other popular stands include the Drayton Manor Family Stand, the South Stand, the West Stand, the R.E.S Wyatt Stand and the Stanley Barnes Stand.
Owners, Operators, and Tenants
While the land here was originally owned by the Calthorpe Estate, Edgbaston is now owned and operated by a company called Wylam Investments (Edgbaston Holdings). They hold a long lease on the facilities, and there is no suggestion that there will be a change in ownership here in the near future.
Wylam Investments continue to maintain the ground and have overseen a number of improvements to the stands and the general playing facilities here.
Warwickshire County Cricket Club continue to play at Edgbaston. In limited overs matches, the team were renamed as Birmingham and they competed as the Birmingham Bears in England’s T20 Blast.
Edgbaston is also one of the venues for The Hundred, which debuted in 2021. The franchise team that plays here is known as Birmingham Phoenix.
Other Sports Played at the Edgbaston Cricket Stadium
Unlike some other cricket grounds in England, Edgbaston is used exclusively for cricket. No other sports are currently played here.
The ground is very much part of the community, and there will be other events held in the stands and rooms, but the playing area is for cricket only.
Edgbaston Cricket Ground Records
Many of Edgbaston’s test match records were set very recently. The highest individual score in test matches is the 294 made by Sir Alastair Cook for England against India in 2011.
Cook’s effort in that game also helped England to compile the highest team total in tests – 710-7. Alastair Cook clearly enjoyed coming here as he is the leading run scorer in test matches with 869 across his career.
The bowling stats show that Jimmy Anderson is the leading wicket taker in tests with 44 victims at Edgbaston. The record test bowling figures in an innings is more ancient. Back in 1902, Wilfred Rhodes took 7/17 playing for England against Australia.
