Australia’s Top Cricket Stadiums
As one of the leading cricket nations in the world, Australia’s connections in the sport are deeply rooted with its cricket grounds.
Some of the biggest and most expensive cricket stadiums in the world are located in Australia, which shows the popularity of the sport is in the country.
History has been made on many of these grounds. From the legendary MCG to the modern behemoth Optus Stadium, Australia’s cricket grounds are among the best in the world. Plenty of great matches have been played on them, and this will continue to be the case well into the future.
Of course, we can’t put them all on the list of top cricket stadiums in Australia, but the ones we have below have deserved their place among the legends.
MCG
Short for Melbourne Cricket Ground, the MCG’s iconic status is tough to beat. It’s also the largest cricket ground in the country with a capacity of 100,000. Until recently, it was the biggest in the world, until the opening of the 110,000-seat Sardar Patel Stadium in India. For its biggest cricket event on the calendar, the Boxing Day Test, it is often near its capacity for the first day, and the ground has been a spot for some legendary feats. We can all remember Brett Lee’s heroics from the past and some other records broken at the MCG – that’s why its iconic status is tough to beat. If you’re keen to relive some of Lee’s finest moments, you can check out Sportsbet.io with Brett Lee. You’ll find all his accolades in one spot and learn about the bookie’s partnership with the cricket legend.
The Gabba
Located in Brisbane, the Gabba has a capacity of only 42,000. Don’t let that fool you – it’s a historic ground for cricket in Australia and one of the oldest as well. The multi-purpose stadium has not only served as a host of cricket tests, ODIs and T20s, but also Australian football and even as a venue for Olympic football matches back in 2000. It’s one of the favorite Test cricket stadiums, being used as recently as January 2021 when Australia played against India, and it traditionally hosts the first Test of the Australian summer. It was also the first stadium in Australia selected to host an international T20 match, back in 2006.
Adelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval (pictured above) is South Australia’s largest stadium with a capacity of just over 53,000. It was completely redeveloped to a modern venue in 2014, transforming an old cricket ground into a world-class stadium. Of course, many of its historic elements were retained, including the scoreboard and hill. It’s now a perfect mix of the old with the new, making it one of the most popular cricket stadiums in the country. It is rightfully considered one of the top cricket venues in the world, not just Australia, especially when it comes to Test cricket matches.
Optus Stadium
Known non-commercially as Perth Stadium (including during International cricket matches due to a sponsorship conflict with CA), Optus Stadium is Australia’s most advanced multi-purpose sports stadium. It’s also one of the most expensive stadiums in history with a total cost of $1.6 billion. It was completed in late 2017 and opened shortly after to the delight of cricket fans from all over the world. Optus Stadium is a state-of-the-art facility that has lived up to the hype. The first event to open the stadium was a test match between the Perth Scorchers and England Lions, and since then, the Optus Stadium has been home to many more across various sports.
Sydney Cricket Ground
One of the world’s most iconic cricket stadiums, the Sydney Cricket Ground has a deep connection to the sport. Its initial construction finished in 1846 and it was the place of Don Bradman’s historic 452 not-out feat. In 2007, Australia destroyed England in the fifth Ashes test in the famous Ashes whitewash that was the first of its kind in 86 years. The ground has retained its historic members and ladies grandstands, while new modern grandstands have been built around them. You won’t find a cricket ground with a richer history than SCG, so it deserves its place on this list.
