Scoring runs in the biggest cricket stadiums in world by boundary is never an easy task for any batter. Hitting sixes and fours in these stadiums requires perfect timing, power, skill, and elegance. In this blog, we are going to discuss about the top 10 biggest cricket stadiums in the world by boundary, which are famous for their longer boundaries.
As you are going to learn about the biggest cricket stadiums, first we should look at the standards set by the International Cricket Council (ICC) about the size of a cricket stadium.
The average diameter of the ground should be between 137.60 meters and 150 meters. The shortest boundary from the cricket pitch should be at least 59.43 meters, while the longest boundary cannot exceed 82.29 meters. In any international stadium, the grass field should be at least 17,000 m2.
Measurement Of Cricket Stadiums
Before looking at biggest cricket stadiums in world by boundary, you should know how cricket stadiums are measured. There are generally two ways to measure any cricket ground in the world.
- By measuring the straight boundary
- By measuring the square boundary.
In this blog, I have organised all stadiums in decreasing order of boundary length, regardless of whether they have a straight or square boundary, to avoid any confusion. So let’s start!
Top 10 Biggest Cricket Stadiums in World By Boundary Size
1. Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG): 93.72 meters
The Sydney Cricket Ground in Australia, also known as the SCG, is the biggest cricket stadium in the world by boundary, having a straight boundary of 93.37 meters. However, on match day, these boundaries are usually brought in to match ICC standards. Due to its large playing area, the SCG is also used for other sports like football matches, rugby league, etc.
Traditionally, the SCG always hosts the first test match in the New Year for Australia. Apart from its longer boundary, its beautiful green field makes this stadium more special.
Key Details:
| Estb | Straight Boundary | Square Boundary | Capacity | Location |
| 1854 | 93.27 Meters | 72.82 Meters | 48,000 | Australia |
2. Lords Cricket Ground: 88.87 meters
One of the most iconic stadiums in the world, Lord’s, firmly occupies 2nd place in the list of the biggest cricket stadiums in the world by boundary, with a straight boundary of 88.87 meters. It is the only cricket stadium of England featured in this list. It is also known as “The Home of Cricket“.
With a seating capacity of over 31,100 spectators, cricket fans have witness the most iconic matches of world cricket. This includes the finals of the first three Cricket World Cups & 2019 World Cup final.
What makes this stadium more special is its uneven slope for the bowlers, running from the north to the south end of the surface, with a total drop of 2.5 meters. Apart from cricket, this stadium is used for lacrosse, hockey, and archery.
Key Details:
| Estb | Straight Boundary | Square Boundary | Capacity | Location |
| 1814 | 88.87 Meters | 65.21 Meters | 31,100 | England |
3. The Wanderers, Johannesburg: 86.76 meters
The Wanderers, the only stadium from South Africa in this list, placed 3rd with a straight boundary of 86.76 meters. It is also known as a “bullring” due to its intimidating atmosphere. It is the largest greenfield international stadium in the world. It can hold upto 34,000 spectators together.
The World Cup 2003 final between India & Australia was played here, but the most iconic match at this stadium was held between South Africa and Australia, which was an ODI match. In this match, South Africa successfully chased down the target of 434 against the mighty Australians.
In Nutshell:
| Estb | Straight Boundary | Square Boundary | Capacity | Location |
| 1856 | 86.76 Meters | 64.13 Meters | 44,000 | South Africa |
4. Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG): 86.24 meters
We know that Australian grounds are known for their long areas, and the MCG is just another example. The MCG, the 2nd largest cricket ground in the world, is placed 4th on the fair list of the biggest cricket stadiums in the world with the square boundary of 86.24 meters. It is locally known as “The G.”
More than 1 lakh people can witness a match together in this stadium. Its big square boundaries allow its promoter to organise other sports like Australian Rules Football, Soccer, Rugby Union, Rugby League, Lawn Bowls, and Squash in this stadium. This stadium has hosted many iconic matches like 1992 & 2015 World Cup Final and T20 world cup 2022 final.
The Boxing Day Test match (Test match on December 26) is traditionally held in this stadium. It is interesting to note that MCG by far has the highest square boundary. In fact, it is so big that the audience is not used to seeing the ball not reach the boundary on the leg side.
Key Details:
| Estb | Straight Boundary | Square Boundary | Capacity | Location |
| 1853 | 83.43 Meters | 86.24 Meters | 1,00,024 | Australia |
5. SSC Cricket Ground: 86.09 meters
The Singhalese Sports Club (SCC) Cricket Ground at Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, has occupied the 5th position in this list with a straight boundary of 86.09 meters. With a seating capacity of 10,000 spectators, this is the most famous ground in Sri Lanka, and it is also regarded as “The Lords of Sri Lanka”.
The most famous match held in this stadium was the ODI match between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in the 2001–2002 tour, where Sri Lanka’s Chaminda Vaas took the best ODI figures of 8/19 to bowl out Zimbabwe in just 38 runs, which is their lowest ODI score till now.
Summary:
| Estb | Straight Boundary | Square Boundary | Capacity | Location |
| 1899 | 86.09 Meters | 72.82 Meters | 10,000 | Sri Lanka |
6. Hagley Oval: 83.57 meters
This beautiful stadium, located in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand, is the 6th contender in the list of the biggest cricket stadiums in the world by boundary, with the straight boundary of 83.57 meters. It is established close to the stunning trees and Hagley Park, and with its oval shape, it is known as Hagley Oval.
It has a seating capacity of 18,000 fans. Cricket was first played here in 1857, but it is stunning that New Zealand played their first test match at this ground in December 2014. This stadium is now rarely used in international encounters due to its limited audience capacity.
Key Details:
| Estb | Straight Boundary | Square Boundary | Capacity | Location |
| 1851 | 83.57 Meters | 77.45 Meters | 18,000 | New Zealand |
7. Basin Reserve: 81.70 meters
Basic Reserve, also regarded as “The Basin,” is another New Zealand stadium featured in this list with a straight boundary of a whopping 81.07 meters. Established in 1868, this is the oldest cricket stadium in the country. The first test match was played here in 1930 against England.
Not only are the boundaries long, but Basin Reserve is also known for its windy conditions, which make batting tougher, as there is too much swing for the bowlers. It has a seating capacity of 11,600 spectators. Other than cricket, this ground is also used for concerts, sports events, and other social gatherings.
Key Details:
| Estb | Straight Boundary | Square Boundary | Capacity | Location |
| 1868 | 81.70 Meters | 72.48 Meters | 11,600 | New Zealand |
8. Kensington Oval: 76.64 meters
8th position in the list of biggest cricket stadiums in the world by boundary is occupied by Kensington Oval, which is located west of the capital city of Bridgetown on the island of Barbados and has a straight boundary of 76.64 meters.
It was established in 1871 and can hold up to 28,000 spectators. The first test match was played here back in 1930, but now everything has changed in this stadium, like stands, scoreboards, pavilions, etc., but its vast surface area remains constant.
In Nutshell:
| Estb | Straight Boundary | Square Boundary | Capacity | Location |
| 1871 | 76.64 Meters | 69.03 Meters | 28,000 | Barbados |
9. Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium : 77.72 meters
This stadium is the largest cricket stadium in India according to playing area having square boundary of 77.72 meters. Also known as NEW VCA Stadium, this stadium is located in Nagpur, Maharashtra. More than 45,000 spectators can enjoy cricket together in this stadium.
Legend’s like Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting & Late Shane Warne has praised this stadium for its beautiful infrastructure and size.
NEW VCA Stadium has also hosted 4 matches of ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. India pacer Deepak Chahar best T20 figures(world record) of 6/7 against Bangladesh was came in this stadium. As of September 2022 it has hosted more T20I matches (13) than any other stadium in India.
Key Details:
| Estb | Straight Boundary | Square Boundary | Capacity | Location |
| 2008 | 73.15 Metres | 77.72 Meters | 45,000 | India |
10. Eden Gardens: 76.23 meters
Eden Gardens, located in Kolkata, West Bengal, occupies the 10th position in my list with a straight boundary of 76.23 meters. With a seating capacity of 68,000, this is the second-largest stadium in India and the third-largest stadium in the world. It is also known as the “Mecca of Cricket,” as it is the first official cricket ground of India.
In spite of the longer boundary, batting is quite easy here due to its super-fast green field and shorter square boundaries; that’s why it is also called “Batter’s Paradise Ground.” This ground has hosted many iconic matches: the first world cup final outside England was held here in 1987, and the T20 world cup final in 2016 was also organised here.
Summary:
| Estb | Straight Boundary | Square Boundary | Capacity | Location |
| 1864 | 76.23 Meters | 66.26 Meters | 68,000 | India |
Biggest Cricket Stadium From Each Country
Want to know clearly names of biggest cricket stadium from each country? So, below is the full list:
| S.No | Country | Stadium | Boundary Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | INDIA | New VCA Stadium, Nagpur | 77.72 mtr(Straight) |
| 2 | AUSTRALIA | Sydney Cricket Ground(SCG), Sydney | 93.27 mtr(Straight) |
| 3 | ENGLAND | Lords Cricket Ground, London | 88.87 mtr(Straight) |
| 4 | WEST INDIES | Kensington Oval, Barbados | 76.64 mtr(Straight) |
| 5 | NEW ZEALAND | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | 83.57 mtr(Straight) |
| 6 | SRI LANKA | SCC Cricket Ground, Colombo | 86.09 mtr(Straight) |
| 7 | PAKISTAN | National Stadium, Karachi | 70 mtr(Straight) |
| 8 | BANGLADESH | Mirpur Stadium, Mirpur | 70 mtr(Straight) |
Conclusion- Biggest Cricket Stadium in World by boundary
I hope you’ve enjoyed this list of the biggest cricket stadiums in the world by boundary.All cricket fans like you should be aware of rich history of these cricket stadiums. A point to note here would be that the above figures are indicative. On an actual match day, the boundary size can increase or decrease by upto 10 meters depending on the ground.
So, which stadium has surprised you most in this list? Which stadium were you thinking should be on this list? Drop your comment below! Share this cricket information with as many as people’s to spread cricket awareness among many fans. Thanks for reading this blog to the end! I will post more interesting cricket facts like this in the future! Join me at cricketpunch.com
Inspired From : itsonlycricket & cricketmastery
Written By
As a passionate cricket enthusiast, I have been immersed in the world of cricket for the past 13 years. Through my cricket blogging website, I aim to share my love and knowledge of the game, providing engaging content for fellow cricket fans to enjoy. – Somesh lakhera
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