Over the years, international cricket has been played at numerous venues in different corners of the world. While some of them ceased to host cricket matches at a certain point, there are others which have been hosting games for the past several decades.
There are also many new cricket grounds which have come up and are giving the established ones a run for their money. Among the several cricket stadiums that exist in the prominent nations that play the sport, there are a few which also serve as venues for other sports.
Also read: Top 5 Indian cricket stadiums with the best crowd atmosphere
Here are 7 such ‘multi-sport’ cricket grounds around the world:
#7 DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai (India)
The DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai is one of the newer cricket stadiums in India and was established back in the year 2008. Although it is yet to host any international matches so far, it has been one of the regular venues in the Indian Premier League and was initially the home ground for two-time champions Mumbai Indians.
However, of late, the stadium has also gained the status of being a football ground ever since the Indian Super League began in 2014. The DY Patil Stadium was home to Mumbai City FC in the first two seasons of the league and also hosted the final of the inaugural edition between Kerala Blasters and Atletico de Kolkata.
The stadium was recently named as one of the venues for the FIFA U-17 World Cup to be played in India next year.
#6 Eden Park, Auckland (New Zealand)
Eden Park is one of the oldest cricketing grounds in New Zealand and has hosted numerous matches across all 3 formats of the game. It was one of the prominent venues not only during the 1992 Benson & Hedges World Cup but also in the 2015 ICC World Cup and hosted the 1st semi-final in both editions.
The stadium’s association with rugby has also been a very old one and it is also among the primary venues for the sport in the country. It is home to the Blues team in Super Rugby, a men’s rugby union competition which features teams from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Japan and Argentina.
Apart from this, Eden Park has also hosted matches in the 1987 and 2011 Rugby World Cups and is among the regular venues for Tests played by the All Blacks, New Zealand’s national rugby team.
#5 Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, Kochi (India)
The Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi was initially a football stadium but transformed into a cricket ground in the year 1998 when it hosted an ODI between India and Australia. Since then, a number of one-day internationals have been played at the ground, which was also home to the defunct Kochi Tuskers Kerala side in the 2011 IPL.
Football made a comeback to the Kochi stadium when former I-League team Chirag United used it for their home matches during the 2010-11 season. In 2014, the ground was named as one of the venues for Indian Super League and became the home ground for the Sachin Tendulkar-owned Kerala Blasters franchise.
#4 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
The Sydney Cricket Ground is one of the most iconic cricketing venues in the world and has been hosting Test matches since the 19th century. The stadium has seen some of the finest cricket ever played and some of the greatest cricketers of all-time have displayed their skills here in the best way possible.
However, there is much more to the SCG than just cricket as it is a regular venue for rugby as well as Australian rules football. Other than that, the ground also hosted the first two matches during the 2014 season of the US Major League Baseball tournament between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In the past, the Sydney Cricket Ground has also been associated with sports like tennis, motor racing, cycling and athletics among others.
#3 Westpac Stadium, Wellington (New Zealand)
The Westpac Stadium in Wellington is currently among the most popular venues for cricket in New Zealand and has hosted several limited-overs fixtures since its establishment in the year 2000. The ground hosted four matches during the 2015 ICC World Cup, including the home team’s quarter-final match against West Indies.
Among other sports played at the stadium, rugby is the most prominent one as a number of league matches and international fixtures keep happening here. It was also one of the venues for the 2008 FIFA U-17 World Cup and is the home ground for A-League soccer team, Wellington Phoenix.
Australian rules football club St. Kilda, which participates in the AFL, also plays its home matches at the Westpac Stadium.
#2 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (Australia)
The Adelaide Oval is another Australian cricket ground which has witnessed Test cricket since the 19th century. Last year, the stadium became the first ever cricketing venue in history to host a day/night Test match, which was played between Australia and New Zealand.
It has also been one of the oldest venues for Australian rules football and regularly hosts the South Australian National Football League. A lot of rugby matches have also been played at the Adelaide Oval including international games as well as league matches.
The ground also caters to soccer and recently hosted the final of the 2016/17 A-League featuring Adelaide United FC and Western Sydney Wanderers. Historically, many other sports such as lawn tennis, hockey, archery, and athletics have also taken place at the Adelaide Oval.
#1 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (Australia)
The largest cricket ground in the world, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, is also the oldest as it witnessed the first ever Test match between Australia and England in 1877. The legendary stadium has hosted several memorable matches across all three formats, including 2 World Cup finals in 1992 and 2015 respectively.
Also read: Top 5 Indian cricket stadiums with the best grandstands
The association between the MCG and Australian rules football dates back to the very inception of the sport and it has hosted a number of events in the spot ever since. Apart from that, rugby and soccer are also played quite regularly at the historic venue.
The 1956 Olympic Games took place primarily at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and also a number of events in the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Tennis and cycling are two other sports which have also been witnessed at this iconic ground.
Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download Cric Rocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more!
