Sophia Gardens seeks Test Match Status.

[Day Release]

Glamorgan unveil £6m plans
Aug 12 2005
Sion Barry, Western Mail

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0300b...name_page.html



GLAMORGAN County Cricket Club has unveiled a £6m scheme to transform its Sophia Gardens home into a Test match standard arena.

The county has submitted a planning application for the next phase of re-development of its Cardiff ground, which would increase its current permanent seating capacity from 6,000 to in excess of 16,000 in an attractive oval-shaped venue.

And as part of the proposals, the county has also submitted plans to house a new temporary home for ice hockey side the Cardiff Devils with a 2,500 seater indoor arena at the northern end of Sophia Gardens.

The county has already raised half the required funding for the project and, subject to approval from Cardiff County Council, work on the scheme could start this autumn.

A new indoor arena for the Devils is needed as its current home in the centre of Cardiff is being demolished to make way for the £556m St David's 2 retail, leisure and residential project.

It is envisaged that the Devils would use the in-door facility at Sophia Gardens for three years, before moving to a permanent ice rink at the Sports Village development in Cardiff Bay.

The council would part finance the building of the Devils' temporary home. Negotiations are continuing between the county and the council as to the ownership status of the indoor facility after it is vacated by the Devils - when it is proposed it would be marketed as a multi-purpose facility.

The planning application submitted by Glamorgan also includes plans for a new modern pavilion, which would be situated on the same side of the ground as the ice rink.

This would allow for the existing and ageing pavilion at the opposite side of the ground to be demolished. The pavilion and its adjoining seating areas would be replaced with a new grandstand.

The re-development plan also includes details for new stands at the Cathedral Road and River Taff ends of the ground - as well as a new media centre in keeping with the latest requirements for coverage of Test match cricket.

Chief executive of the Glamorgan County Cricket Club, Mike Fatkin, said the scheme underpinned the county's ambitions to become a regular venue for Test match cricket for England matches - particularly in the one- day arena.

The latest re-development plans follow a near £300,000 investment made by the county this year in new flood-lighting to stage night games.

Long-term, the new-look ground could be a venue for five- day England Test matches.

This season England played a Test match [against Bangladesh] at the Riverside home of county side Durham - the first time they had played at a relatively new ground for around a century.

Mr Fatkin said, "To get up to the required capacity for hosting internationals, we currently have to bring in more than 7,000 temporary seats, which is extremely expensive at a cost of around £140,000 a day.

"We want to bring more international cricket to Sophia Gardens and the increase in permanent capacity outlined in our planning application would allow us to achieve this.

"Providing we get planning consent this autumn, the aim is to have all the first phase work completed by next August - in time for the one-day international between England and Pakistan at Sophia Gardens at the end of that month."

Architects on the project are the Cardiff firm of HLN. Director Neil MacOmish said, "The plans will see the creation of a complete oval-shaped arena.

"By next summer it is planned to have a capacity of 13,500 permanent seats, with corporate hospitality boxes in the pavilion.

"For Test match cricket a capacity of 15,000 is required, so temporary seating for 1,500 would be brought in for the England v Pakistan game next summer.

"However, by 2008 it is planned to have a second tier of seating at parts of the ground, which would increase permanent seat capacity to more than 16,000."

[Day Release]

Durham's Riverside Ground was recently awarded Test Match Status.



Hampshire's Rose Bowl looks likely to become a part of the Test Cricket Circuit.

The Rose Bowl is now increasing capacity to over 20,000


Somerset CCC also have big plans for their Taunton Ground and also have Test Match Ambitions.

A link to Somersets Taunton Ground plans

http://www.tauntondeane.gov.uk/Forms...TauntonUDF.pdf

[Day Release]

At the same time Lancashire are considering there options and whether to redevelop Old Trafford or move from Old Trafford to either a new ground beside Manchester City or to Wigan. The LCCC Vote at the end of the Summer.

http://content.cricinfo.com/engvaus/...ry/212615.html

Headingley is hoping to keep it's Test Match Staus after a £10 million redevelopment, whilst a major new stand has just been completed at the Oval.

The New Oval Stand


Finally a 60,000 Seat Cricket and Football Stadium in Birmingham is a real possibility, and although plans are still at an early stage, it would create the largest Test Ground in the Country since the closure of Bramhall Lane in 1973.

Bramhall Lane Test Ground in Sheffield Yorkshire had a capacity of 50,000, but the land was taken over by the nearby football club and Yorkshire Tests were held at Headingley from 1973 onwards.

Birmingham News on 60,000 Seater Cricket/Football Stadium

http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/...l&siteid=50002

An Artists Impression of the New Cricket/Football Stadium

[Zim Flyer]

Day Release I love you, thank you for posting this, I wasn't aware of it until I read the thread.

I'm a huge Glamorgan fan and this is superb news.

The ground has gradually been improving over the last four years with the new academy (which is behind the stand with the sails in the picture) and a couple of new stands, but the pavilian is like a big Caravan and needs building with something special.

I'm soooo happy about this.


re the other Cricket grounds, Headingely is a complete dump, I love the new stand at the Oval and the Rose Bowl is awesome.

[Zim Flyer]

On a seperate note, I would like Wales to break away from the ECB and go it alone and go down the road of international Cricket as Scotland and Ireland are doing.

[Day Release]

Originally Posted by Zim Flyer

Day Release I love you, thank you for posting this, I wasn't aware of it until I read the thread.

I'm a huge Glamorgan fan and this is superb news.

The ground has gradually been improving over the last four years with the new academy (which is behind the stand with the sails in the picture) and a couple of new stands, but the pavilian is like a big Caravan and needs building with something special.

I'm soooo happy about this.


re the other Cricket grounds, Headingely is a complete dump, I love the new stand at the Oval and the Rose Bowl is awesome.

I love you too Zim

I agree it's about time we had some fresh stadiums and a new cricket philosophy to match the increasing popularity of the game.

I hope we can look forward to seeing future tests from Sophia Gardens

[Day Release]

Btw Zim, as far as Cricket Grounds go, they don't get much better looking than this one.





And I am sure Trent Bridge will look even better after we stuff the Ozzies there

[Zim Flyer]

oops forgot about Trent Bridge,

yes it's a stunning ground, I love the main stand in the picture (with the turrets). I believe they have still got to redevelop the pavilian, but already it is something special.

[Day Release]

Originally Posted by Zim Flyer

oops forgot about Trent Bridge

You can't forget about Trent Bridge, the fourth test starts there on Thursday.

Although the most beautiful ground is of course Lords, the Home of Cricket.

[Day Release]

Btw Zim, I also thought that Headingley and Old Trafford were looking a bit worn and old, although Headingley is much better following it's redevelopment and I look forward to Lancashires decision as to whether to completley rebuild most of Old Trafford or to move to a new ground.

Headingley (One of the New Stands)


Old Trafford is a more Attractive Ground that Headingley, but it still either needs a major redevelopment or total replacement.


IMO the best test grounds in the past were Lords, Edgbaston and Trent Bridge, but the new grounds at Durham, Hampshire and the redevelopments at the Oval, Headingley and the Lancashire plans, as well as the Sophia Gardens Redvelopment and the Taunton Plans mean that British cricket has some great grounds in the world and best prospects this country has ever seen.

Exciting times indeed.

Edgbaston

[CharlieP]

Originally Posted by Day Release

Somerset CCC also have big plans for their Taunton Ground and also have Test Match Ambitions.

I can't see Taunton ever getting Test status - and I say that as a Somerset supporter whose grandfather played for the county. The playing area is way too small (though that makes watching Twenty20 games great fun, especially when Ian Blackwell's at the crease ), there isn't room to build stands with the required capacity (I think it's currently 15,000, but with all the counties vying to get on the Test scene that will rise quickly), and Taunton itself isn't exactly nodal compared to Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds et al, and doesn't have the infrastructure to handle the number of spectators that watch a Test match...

[Day Release]

I don't know that much about the Taunton bid for Test Match status, although there are plans for major redevelopment.

The plans include increasing the playing area and moving the ground away from the river, the plans are on a massive scale, and I doubt it would be even recognisable in terns of current facilities.

Here's the plans I found on the web.

http://www.tauntondeane.gov.uk/Forms...TauntonUDF.pdf

[CharlieP]

Originally Posted by Day Release

I don't know that much about the Taunton bid for Test Match status, although there are plans for major redevelopment.

OK, I was just reacting to your comment that SCCC "...also have Test Match Ambitions" . If the development goes ahead it'll have a better case for hosting ODIs than Canterbury and Bristol, but Tests are a different pot of kettlefish altogether...

[Day Release]

We have more than enough test venues if Tauntons Grand Plans (which are good enough to see it host 5 day internationals) don't come to fuition.

The Riverside, Rose Bowl and Sophia Gardens will offer superb venues for future international test cricket.

The Riverside, Chester Le Street Co Durham

[clarky]

Interesting thread nice to see many grounds are being redeveloped i hope Birmingham gets a 60.000 stadium that would be great for English cricket.

St lawrence ground kent 15.000(Tree has since been replaced with a new one)

The county ground Bristol 8000 with capacity boosted with tempory seating to 15.000 for one day games.If the weather is hot sometimes i come here to relax.

[Day Release]

There are quite a few Grounds which host one day Internationals including Canterbury, Bristol and Leicester. However they are usually not of full Test Standard, however the new stadiums such as the Riverside and Rose Bowl more than meet the criteria to host 5 day Test Cricket.

http://www.icc-cricket.com/odi/eng.html

England One-Day International Grounds

Old Trafford, Manchester
Lord's, London
Edgbaston, Birmingham
St Helen's, Swansea
Headingley, Leeds
The Brit Oval, London
Trent Bridge, Nottingham
North Marine Road Ground, Scarborough
Grace Road, Leicester
County Ground, Taunton
The Royal & Sun Alliance County Ground, Bristol
County Ground, New Road, Worcester
County Ground, Southampton
Nevill Ground, Tunbridge Wells
County Ground, Derby
County Ground, Chelmsford
County Ground, Hove
St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury
County Ground, Northampton
Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
The Rose Bowl, Southampton


County Ground, New Road, Worcester




The Rose Bowl Hampshire (Increasing Capacity to Over 20,000)

[CharlieP]

Originally Posted by Day Release

There are quite a few Grounds which host one day Internationals including Canterbury, Bristol and Leicester. However they are usually not of full Test Standard, however the new stadiums such as the Riverside and Rose Bowl more than meet the criteria to host 5 day Test Cricket.

England One-Day International Grounds

Old Trafford, Manchester
Lord's, London
Edgbaston, Birmingham
St Helen's, Swansea
Headingley, Leeds
The Brit Oval, London
Trent Bridge, Nottingham
North Marine Road Ground, Scarborough
Grace Road, Leicester
County Ground, Taunton
The Royal & Sun Alliance County Ground, Bristol
County Ground, New Road, Worcester
County Ground, Southampton
Nevill Ground, Tunbridge Wells
County Ground, Derby
County Ground, Chelmsford
County Ground, Hove
St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury
County Ground, Northampton
Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
The Rose Bowl, Southampton

Yes, but that's a bit misleading - most of those grounds have only hosted one or two ODIs during past World Cups, and don't feature as "regular" venues. The reason I mentioned Bristol and Canterbury is that they are considered good enough to be included in the NatWest Series every year (along with Cardiff and Durham).

It's a bit like saying Cross Green, Otley is a Test ground in rugby, which it technically is as it hosted Italy v USA in the 1991 World Cup...

[Day Release]

It's the ICC List not mine.

http://www.icc-cricket.com/odi/eng.html

[Day Release]

Originally Posted by CharlieP

Yes, but that's a bit misleading - most of those grounds have only hosted one or two ODIs during past World Cups, and don't feature as "regular" venues. The reason I mentioned Bristol and Canterbury is that they are considered good enough to be included in the NatWest Series every year (along with Cardiff and Durham).

It's a bit like saying Cross Green, Otley is a Test ground in rugby, which it technically is as it hosted Italy v USA in the 1991 World Cup...
__________________

Durhams Riverside and the Rose Bowl have only hosted a few ODI's, whilst a lot of thE other grounds on the list are big county grounds including Leicesters Ground at Grace Road (12,000), Derbyshires County Ground (10,000) Yorkshires second ground at Scarborough (12,000) and you have already mentioned others including Durham, Cardiff, Hampshire, Gloucester (Bristol) and Canterbury (Kent), as well as the six five day test grounds.

North Marine Road Ground, Scarborough (12,000)


All in all nearly every ground on that list deserves to be there and is capable of hosting ODI's.

These grounds aren't that small and most of the grounds on that list are the main county grounds for the major Cricketing Counties and not some Village Green Cricket Ground.

[CharlieP]

Originally Posted by Day Release

All in all nearly every ground on that list deserves to be there and is capable of hosting ODI's.

These grounds aren't that small and most of the grounds on that list are the main county grounds for the major Cricketing Counties and not some Village Green Cricket Ground.

Here's your list again, sorted by current capacity:

Lord's, London - 30,000
The Brit Oval, London - 23,500
Edgbaston, Birmingham - 21,000
Old Trafford, Manchester - 19,000
Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street - 17,000 (for internationals)
Trent Bridge, Nottingham - 15,350
The Royal & Sun Alliance County Ground, Bristol - 15,000 (for ODIs)
St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury - 15,000
Headingley, Leeds - 14,000
Grace Road, Leicester - 12,000
North Marine Road Ground, Scarborough - 11,500
County Ground, Derby - 9,500
County Ground, Northampton - 6,500
The Rose Bowl, Southampton - 6,500
County Ground, Taunton - 6,500
County Ground, Chelmsford - 6,000
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff - 5,500
St Helen's, Swansea - 4,500
Nevill Ground, Tunbridge Wells - 4,500
County Ground, New Road, Worcester - 4,500
County Ground, Hove - 4,000
County Ground, Southampton - defunct

You're right that Grace Road is a decent-sized ground, as are Scarborough (which suffers from being the second-largest in it county) and Derby (which is, to put it frankly, a dump), but the rest are hardly going to see bumper crowds unless they bring in plenty of temporary seating (which Cardiff must do - all capacities came from cricinfo.com)....