5 Most beautiful cricket grounds in the world

Every match of cricket has its own charm and excitement but witnessing the game in the stadium itself just doubles this feeling. Cricket stadiums like the Lord's Cricket Ground, Melbourne Cricket Cricket Ground or the Eden Gardens have their own importance in the history of the sport due to their long legacy. But here is the list of five most beautiful grounds right now which are famous for their serenity.

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#5 Newlands, Cape Town

This stadium is located on the South Western coast of the South African city of Cape Town. Newlands is one of the oldest cricket ground in South Africa and is surrounded by the Table Mountain in Southern Suburbs of Cape Town. This ground first hosted a Test match in 1889 and since then so far, it has hosted 54 Test matches. The ground is also home for the domestic T20 side Cape Cobras.

Some of the significant milestones that came on this ground are Sachin Tendulkar’s last Test century in 2011 and Ben Stokes’ 258 which is the fastest 250 in Test history off just 198 balls.

#4 Galle International Stadium

This stadium is located on the South Western Coast of Sri Lanka, surrounded by the Indian Ocean on both sides. The Galle International Stadium is a must visit place for every cricket fanatic. The stadium has a fort in the background and grass banks which make the view more scenic.

The stadium does not have concrete stands on the sides which allow the breeze to flow without any hindrance. The ground was destroyed after the 2004 tsunami but was rebuilt later. Shane Warne picked up his 500th Test wicket on this ground dismissing Hashan Tillakaratne in 2004 thereby becoming the first bowler to do so.

#3 Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, St. Lucia

This stadium is situated in the Beausèjour Hills which is just around the corner from Rodney Bay in Gros Islet St.Lucia. Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium is one of the most beautiful cricket stadiums in the Caribbean Islands. It is a relatively new venue which first hosted a One Day International in 2002 and its first Test match in the subsequent year.

The ground which was used for the 2007 World Cup as well as the World T20 2010, was renamed after the Island’s first cricketer to represent the West Indies, Daren Sammy. The ground is home to Windward Islands Cricket team as well as CPL franchise Saint Lucia Stars, formerly known as Saint Lucia Zouks.

#2 Saxton Oval, Nelson

The Saxton Oval is another mesmerizing ground which can leave anyone enthralled by its beauty. It is a small stadium with a capacity of just 6,000 spectators. It was constructed by Nelson Cricket Association which was established in 2009. The ground first hosted an ODI game in 2014 and was also used for three matches during the 2015 World Cup.

#1 HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala

Arguably the most picturesque ground in India, the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala is regarded as heaven by many people. This ground is located at 1457 m above sea level with the snow-capped Himalayan mountains in the backdrop to add to its beauty. Also in the high altitudes and low atmospheric pressure ball tends to travel a little quicker.

The ground hosted its first ODI match against England in January 2013 and the first Test match vs Australia in March 2017.