5 great cricket venues to visit before you die

A cauldron of noise. The history behind it. The facilities. The location. These are a few things that make a stadium an enjoyable place to go and watch any sport.

Cricket has its fair share of these wonderful stadiums. Be it in England, India, Australia or South Africa, there are so many unique stadiums that throw up varied types of experiences, and one that most of the watching public would enjoy.

Here is a look at 5 of the best, where cricket-watching is a thoroughly wonderful experience, and a must have on your bucket list!

5. The Oval, London

When the sun shines, and the England fans begin to sing as they dominate a Test match, The Oval is a pretty sight. The Oval generally hosts the last Test of the English summer, and it is a perfect arena for the Test carnival to conclude. The Oval is set in a prime location with most of London’s premier attractions in the vicinity.

The pitch at The Oval used to be up there with the WACA as the paciest and bounciest wickets in the world, but much like the WACA, that quality of The Oval is now gone, with the pitch in recent times tending to be a batting paradise more often than not.

The atmosphere at The Oval, to go along with the late English summer sunshine is a sight for cricket lovers to soak in.

4. Newlands, Cape Town

A stunningly located ground, Newlands is situated, such that the Table Mountain adorns its backdrop. Add to this a wonderful atmosphere, and you get a wonderful cricket-watching experience. When South Africa are doing well, Newlands is a different monster altogether. The noise that is generated, and the partisan home support can absolutely knock the stuffing out of an opponent.

The Newlands pitch is among the best in South Africa, probably the most sporting one in that country. This was most evident in 2011, when on Day 2 of a Test match, South Africa were shot out for 84, Australia got 47 in their second innings, and then Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith scored centuries that took South Africa to an easy victory.

What that match showed was that, if you could be patient and gritty, then runs were to be had, and as two scores of below 100 suggests, the bowlers find more than their fair share of help.

3. Melbourne Cricket Ground

100,000 people potentially watching on, as you ply your trade. That is what you get at the MCG. Add to this, the occasion of Boxing Day when the MCG hosts its annual test match, and you get an absolute festive feel when at the ground.

Much like Newlands, the crowd here knows to get behind its team. Australia have so many times bounced back from dodgy situations at “The G”, where they were massively aided by the “12th Man”.

Australia have an enviable record at The G as well. Since the turn of the century, they’ve lost only two tests there, to South Africa in 2008, and to England in 2010. Apart from that, they’ve been dominant, and having as big a crowd to back you, as the MCG provides, is a huge bonus.

2. Eden Gardens, Kolkata

You see what “fanatic” means when you see the crowd at Eden Gardens. Before it was renovated for the 2011 World Cup, the Eden could house around 90000 people. Although that number seems to have come down to around 65000 now, there is still that buzz about the Eden.

A sporting pitch on most occasions, a fabulous crowd, and Team India. A Test match at The Eden is five days to enjoy and savour. No wonder it is located in “The City of Joy” then.

Eden Gardens has played host to arguably, India’s finest ever Test match in 2001. Following on after the first innings, VVS Laxman played the greatest knock ever played by an Indian to steer India back into the game, and Harbhajan Singh and Sachin Tendulkar made the most of the wear and tear of the 5th day pitch to force Australia into defeat.

But, passion can sometimes overboil, and The Eden has witnessed its share of crowd trouble, none more so than the 1996 World Cup Semifinal between India and Sri Lanka. But, it is this passion that keeps Eden Gardens going and makes it a great place to watch cricket.

1. Lord’s Cricket Ground, London

This is the one stadium that is synonymous with cricket. Rightly called “The Home of Cricket”, Lord’s has an aura about it. It has an air to it, that makes the best players want to perform every time they set foot on its hallowed turf.

The distinct brown balconies, the long room, the Honours Board, and the walk down the stairs amidst the members of the MCC, is something that every cricketer would, no doubt, want to experience at least once in their lifetime.

There is also the extra motivation to excel at Lord’s because of that Honours Board, which is adorned by the names of each batsman who has scored a century here, and each bowler who has taken five wickets in a single innings in Test cricket.

But what actually puts Lord’s on this list is that it is the one ground, world over, that even non-cricket people relate the sport with.