Old Trafford Cricket Ground (Manchester) – Pitch Report

Old Trafford cricket ground is located in the borough of Old Trafford, Manchester, England. It was built in 1857 for Manchester Cricket Club and has been the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club since 1864. Since 2013 it has been known as Emirates Old Trafford owing to a sponsorship agreement with the Emirates airline.

Old Trafford is England’s second-oldest Test venue, having hosted the country’s first Ashes match in July 1884. The cricket facility has been the site of the Cricket World Cup five times (1975, 1979, 1983, 1999, and 2019). Old Trafford has the distinction of hosting the most World Cup matches and semi-finals ever staged. In 1956, England bowler Jim Laker took 19 wickets for 90 runs in a single match, a feat which has never been surpassed in Test or first-class cricket. In 1990, at the age of 17, Sachin Tendulkar scored 119 not out against England, establishing himself as India’s greatest batsman ever. In the 1993 Ashes Test at Old Trafford, Australia’s leg-spinner Shane Warne bowled Mike Gatting with the “Ball of the Century,” which became known as “the ball that changed cricket.” In 2019, New Zealand defeated India in the World Cup semi-final after erroneously running out MS Dhoni, who had a longstanding injury. The ground was utilized as one of two biosecure sites, alongside the Ageas Bowl, for West Indies and Pakistan tours in 2020 because to COVID-19 pandemic concerns.