Built: 1967
Situated within Sophia Gardens on the banks of the River Taff, the home of Glamorgan will host four World Cup fixtures this summer.
The stadium has hosted matches in the last two Champions Trophy tournaments - including Pakistan’s semi-final win over England in 2017 - as well as a single fixture during the 1999 World Cup.
1967 witnessed Glamorgan’s first ever fixture at Sophia Gardens, a match against an Indian touring side, but the venue formally became the club’s home in 1995 with a 125-year lease being signed.
In 1969 a packed-out stadium saw Glamorgan - led by Wilf Wooler - win the County Championship for the second time in the club’s history, having previously been crowned champions in 1948.
The stadium became an international cricket venue in 1999 when it hosted a World Cup fixture between Steve Waugh’s Australia and Stephen Fleming’s New Zealand.
In 2009, the 15,000-seat venue became the 100th to host a Test match when England and Australia squared off in the first match of that summer’s Ashes series. The venue has gone on to host Test, ODI and T20I matches since.
The National Cricket Centre, which was completed in 1999, offers state of the art bowling machines, seven lanes, fielding machines and much more.
Sophia
Gardens itself is named after Lady Sophia Rawdon-Hastings, daughter of 1st
Marquess of Hastings and the wife to the 2nd Marquess of Bute.
Fans get up close to the action during a county game at Cardiff in 1999
If you could pick two humans to bat for your life, James Anderson and Monty Panesar probably wouldn’t be near the top of your list.
That said, in the opening Ashes Test of 2009, the pair absorbed a combined 88 balls in England’s second innings to defy the Aussies in the Welsh capital.
Address: Sophia Gardens, Sophia Walk, Cardiff CF11 9XR
By car: Travelling via automobile takes approximately three hours via the M4 westbound from London. Parking, however, is limited near the ground and would need to be pre-booked. It is recommended that drivers use the Park & Ride service or seek public car parks in the city centre.
By public transport: Trains from London Paddington to Cardiff Central take approximately two hours. Trains from Manchester take towards four hours while services from Bristol take just under an hour.
Bus
services run regularly between Cardiff Central Station and Cathedral Road.
Route numbers 25, 62 and 63 all run via Cathedral Road.
Highest
ODI score: England 342 for 8 vs Australia, June 2018
Lowest
ODI score: Sri Lanka 138 all out vs New Zealand, June
2013
Much maligned for always seeing its international cricket interrupted by rain, Sophia Gardens does indeed suffer from more precipitation than most major cricket venues in the UK. But the battle between bat and ball is usually quite even here.
The Pontcanna Inn
Decent bar food to soak up the booze (£5-15)
36 Cathedral Road, Cardiff CF11 9LL
Secret
Garden Cafe
Light bites in a quaint location (£5-15)
North Rd, Cardiff CF10 3ER
Elgano
Authentic Italian cuisine created with fresh, local ingredients (pasta
and pizza dishes ranging from £10 - £15)
58 Cathedral Road, Cardiff, CF11 9LL
The
Potted Pig
Modern British food based around seasonal menus (three-course lunch - £17)
27 High Street, Cardiff, CF10 1PU
Milkwood
An independent modern Welsh bistro (£30-50 per head)
83 Pontcanna St, Cardiff, CF11 9HS
Cardiff Castle
Travel back in time and get to know
the city’s history (
Cardiff Castle, Castle Street, Cardiff, CF10 3RB, Wales
Principality Stadium tour
Take a tour of the home of Welsh rugby (£9-14)
Principality Stadium, Westgate Street, Cardiff CF10 1NS
Pontcanna Fields, Bute Park and Sophia Gardens
Explore the grade 2 listed parkland that surrounds the stadium (free)
Bute Park, North Road, Cardiff CF10 3DX, Wales
Brewhouse and Kitchen
Modern-style bar/pub serving craft ales form their on-site
microbrewery
Sophia Close, Cardiff, CF11 9HW
The
Cricketers
Welsh real ales offered in the setting of a classic Cardiff townhouse
66 Cathedral Rd, Cardiff CF11 9LL
The
Romilly
Classic pub with a decent garden out the back
247 Cathedral Road, Cardiff, CF11 9PP
Prince
of Wales
Your classic no-nonsense Wetherspoons - housed in an old theatre
81–83 St Mary Street, Cardiff, CF10 1FA
Tiny
Rebel
Perhaps your hipster’s choice, plenty of quirky sounding beers
25 Westgate Street, Cardiff, CF10 1DD
In
1981 Sophia Gardens played host to Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.
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