Newlands
Newlands Cricket Ground
Cape Town, South Africa
25,000
1888
Cape Town, South Africa
Grass
About this Ground
One of cricket's most scenic grounds. Backdrop of Table Mountain. Cape Town Test a calendar fixture.
History & Significance
Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town, established in 1888 on land below the slopes of Table Mountain, is considered one of the most beautiful cricket venues in the world. The backdrop of Table Mountain — changing colour through the day from grey morning granite to russet afternoon rock — appears in more cricket photographs than perhaps any other natural setting in sport. Newlands hosted South Africa's first-ever Test match, against England in March 1889, and the ground has been at the heart of South African cricket through the country's turbulent history. The decades of isolation following South Africa's exclusion from international cricket in 1970 meant the ground saw no Tests for 21 years; the return against India in 1992 was an extraordinarily emotional occasion. Under Graeme Smith, who captained South Africa for a record 109 Tests from 2003 to 2014, Newlands became a genuine fortress — South Africa's record at home during that era was extraordinary, and the Cape Town crowd's intimate scale made every dropped catch or leg-before appeal feel personal. The pitch at Newlands has traditionally offered considerable movement off the seam, making early morning play in Cape Town some of the most challenging batting conditions in Test cricket. The New Year Test in Cape Town has become a January fixture that touring sides dread.
Ground Record
South Africa vs England
Lowest Test total at Newlands · 1896
Famous For
- Table Mountain backdrop
- Cape Town Test tradition
- Graeme Smith era
About Newlands Cricket Ground
Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town, established in 1888 on land below the slopes of Table Mountain, is considered one of the most beautiful cricket venues in the world. The backdrop of Table Mountain — changing colour through the day from grey morning granite to russet afternoon rock — appears in more cricket photographs than perhaps any other natural setting in sport. Newlands hosted South Africa's first-ever Test match, against England in March 1889, and the ground has been at the heart of South African cricket through the country's turbulent history. The decades of isolation following South Africa's exclusion from international cricket in 1970 meant the ground saw no Tests for 21 years; the return against India in 1992 was an extraordinarily emotional occasion. Under Graeme Smith, who captained South Africa for a record 109 Tests from 2003 to 2014, Newlands became a genuine fortress — South Africa's record at home during that era was extraordinary, and the Cape Town crowd's intimate scale made every dropped catch or leg-before appeal feel personal. The pitch at Newlands has traditionally offered considerable movement off the seam, making early morning play in Cape Town some of the most challenging batting conditions in Test cricket. The New Year Test in Cape Town has become a January fixture that touring sides dread.
Upcoming & Recent Matches
All matches →Live match schedule coming soon for this venue.