Newlands Cricket Ground is hope to Cape Cobras, the cricket team of Cape Town, South Africa. Also known as Six Gun Grill Newlands for sponsorship reason, the Newlands Cricket Ground has hosted multiple Test matches, One Day International cricket matches and Twenty20 International matches.
Table of Contents
Ground Guide by Cricket Tripper
History
The Newlands Cricket Ground has only recently taken on this sponsorship name – October 2020 to be exact – when the ground signed a deal with a local maker of seasonings and spices. Previously it has been known as the PPC Newlands, Sahara Park Newlands after a computer company and Liberty Life Newlands after an insurance company. Given all the name changes it has experienced, locals often refer to this cricket ground as simply ‘Newlands’.
This cricket ground is regarded as one of the most beautiful cricket grounds in the world; it is overlooked by Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak. The Newlands Cricket Ground is close to Newlands Stadium – a rugby union and football venue – showing the strong sense of sporting excellence of the city. The Newlands Cricket Ground has hosted a total of 55 Test Matches, of which, South Africa have won 23 and have lost 21 to their opponents. The most recent team to beat the home nation was England in January 2020. As of June 2019, there have been 41 One Day International cricket matches played at the ground, including 5 during the 2003 Cricket World Cup. South Africa have won 30 of its One Day International games at Newlands Cricket Ground, and only lost 6. It is one of the few grounds in South Africa to favour spinners, for example Paul Adams.
The cricket ground opened in 1888 when the ground, made up partly of wetland and partly wooded, was rented to the Western Province Cricket Club for £100 with a 25-year lease signed. Each of the 4 life members contributed £25 to the costs, and a further £350 was made up from donations towards the building of the original pavilion. The first match after the grounds levelling was between Mother Country and Colonial born, which went on to be a regular feature at the ground. The first Test Match was surprisingly soon after the Newlands Cricket Ground was bought. In 1889, England defeated South Africa by an innings and 202 runs.
The Australians arrived in 1902 to play a test match, at which 10,000 spectators turned out to watch. In preparation for this match, the pine trees along the ‘B’ field were replaced by oak trees. This area of the ground is now the current site of the Oak Enclosure – one of the most popular vantage points. Between 1991 and 1997 the grass banks that partially surrounded the pitch were replaced with pavilions, increasing the capacity to 25,000. The most recent development was announced in 2019 when it was made known that the owners of Newlands Cricket Ground, the Western Province Cricket Association, went into partnership with Sanlam, to form a new office-block development, as part of the cricket ground.
Seating Plan
Below is a seating plan of Cape Cobras's Newlands Cricket Ground:
