Sophia Gardens (cricket ground)

Sophia Gardens

The Really Welsh Pavilion
Ground information
Location	Cardiff, Wales
Coordinates	51°29′14″N 3°11′29″W / 51.48722°N 3.19139°W / 51.48722; -3.19139Coordinates: 51°29′14″N 3°11′29″W / 51.48722°N 3.19139°W / 51.48722; -3.19139
Capacity	15,643
Owner	Cardiff City Council
Architect	HLN Architects
End names
River Taff End Cathedral Road End
International information
First Test	8–12 July 2009:  England v  Australia
Last Test	8–11 July 2015:  England v  Australia
First ODI	20 May 1999:  Australia v  New Zealand
Last ODI	4 September 2016:  England v  Pakistan
First T20I	5 September 2010:  England v  Pakistan
Last T20I	31 August 2015:  England v  Australia
Team information
Glamorgan (1967–present)
As of 4 September 2016 Source: ESPNcricinfo

Sophia Gardens (Welsh: Gerddi Soffia), known since 2015 as The SSE SWALEC for sponsorship reasons, is a cricket stadium in Cardiff, Wales. It is located in Sophia Gardens on the River Taff. It is home to Glamorgan County Cricket Club and is listed as an international Test cricket venue.

The venue is home to Glamorgan County Cricket Club which has played its home matches there since 24 May 1967, after moving away from Cardiff Arms Park. A 125-year lease of the ground was acquired in 1995, with the previous leaseholders, Cardiff Athletic Club, moving its cricket section (Cardiff Cricket Club) to the Diamond Ground in Whitchurch. Beside the cricket ground is the large sports hall complex of the Sport Wales National Centre. Cardiff Corinthians F.C. have previously used the area for football. In July 2007, Glamorgan cricketer Mike Powell was granted his wish to have a rib, removed during surgery, buried at the ground.

Sophia Gardens has been an international cricket venue since 20 May 1999, when it played host to the 1999 Cricket World Cup match between Australia and New Zealand. From 2001 to 2012, the ground was a regular venue for One Day Internationals, hosting nine matches in 12 years, but it was not until 2006 that it hosted its first England match, the first match of the series against Pakistan on 30 August 2006. In 2012, the ground was named as one of three venues for the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, along with The Oval and Edgbaston; it hosted five matches, including the opener between India and South Africa on 6 June 2013, and the semi-final between India and Sri Lanka on 20 June. The ground also hosted two Twenty20 Internationals between England and Pakistan in September 2010, and it is due to host another against Australia in August 2015.