Edgbaston Stadium is one of the leading venues in world cricket and has been the home of Warwickshire County Cricket Club since 1885.
For more than 100 years, first-class and international cricket has been played in Birmingham.
During that time the stadium has hosted all the great players of the game and delivered some of the most iconic moments in the history of the sport.
The club is born…
Warwickshire County Cricket Club was founded on April 8, 1882, at a meeting in The Regent Hotel, Leamington Spa.
A place to call home…
In search of a permanent home for the newly-founded club, Warwickshire had considered Rugby and Leamington Spa, but secretary William Ansell pushed for Birmingham due to its large population.
Ansell envisaged first-class status for the county and Test match status for the ground – by 1902 both had been achieved. Warwickshire were offered a 12-acre ‘meadow of rough grazing land’ on the banks of the River Rea by the Calthorpe Estate in the newly-developed manor of Edgbaston. In 1885, the club agreed a lease for the land – £5 per acre over a 21-year period.
Warwickshire’s first match at Edgbaston took place on June 7 and 8, 1886, against the MCC. It was watched by 3,000 spectators over the two days. Two months later, 6,000 attended when Australia were the visitors.
Test cricket comes to Birmingham…
Edgbaston hosted its first Test, against Australia, in 1902, just eight years after gaining first-class status. The club erected a permanent stand for the grand occasion and brought two temporary stands across from Villa Park.
Facilities were also erected for 90 members of the press who reported upon a match which England dominated, bowling the Aussies out for 36 in their first innings, but then had to settle for a draw due to rain.
The home of innovation…
Edgbaston has long been a home of innovation in cricket. In 1973 it hosted the inaugural Women’s World Cup final, in which England beat Australia by 92 runs.
In 1997, Edgbaston was the venue for the first competitive floodlit day-night cricket match in the UK, the Bears beating Somerset by 35 runs in front of 16,000 people.
Twenty years later, the venue also hosted the first day-night Test match in the UK, between England against West Indies. Joe Root’s side came out on top by an innings and 209 runs.
