England - Headingley (Headingley)
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General Information:
Ground Address
The Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Headingley Cricket Ground
Leeds
LS6 3BU
Contacts
Main Switchboard & General Enquiries - 0870 429 6774
Fax - 0113 278 4099
Ticket and Membership Office - 0871 222 0994
Ground Facts and Figures:
Name: Headingley
Pitch Type: Grass
Capacity: 14,000
End Names: Kirkstall Lane End, Football Stand End
Home Team(s): Yorkshire.
The Ground:
Headingley is very much a mix and match type ground where there are a varity of different styles of stands that make up the ground, one end of the ground is completely dominated by the rugby league ground stand which backs onto it. The ground is odd in that it has no pavilion, just a modern dressing room at the side of the wicket.
The ground is not exactly the best looking in the world, and can pretty much be summed up in three words: cold, grey and miserable.
The bosses at Headlingley are fully aware of the need for improvement, but it will take time. They have made a start but there is a long way to go.
Yorkshire's ground for over a century, the club finally bought it in 2005 for the sum of 12 million pounds.
The Wicket:
Headlingley is definitely a seamer friendly pitch. Big scores can be made when the sun's out, but once the clouds come batting is rarely straightforward on a wicket that does plenty.
Wickets can look flat, but are likely to crack. Batting can be perilous, although usually only for a brief time. "Shooters" and "fliers" come along like clockwork - the only problem is no one has any idea which one's coming next.
It is a four-seamer pitch every day of the week. Your variation of attack comes by changing the arm with which the bowler bowls, not speed or spin.
The Outfield:
Slopes straight down the ground, bowling at either end sets different challenges. Up the slope it's a real case of "up hill battle". Down the hill can create no-ball trouble.
Bliss or Torment:
When Yorkshire had their strong attack it was torment for county sides, but now they are struggling a bit more a win at Headingley is not such a big achievement as it used to be.
There is a real fortress factor about Headingley and the main reason the players pushed so hard to stop playing at all the other grounds in 1999. It's all about quick bowling, if you have a strong pace attack you stand a good chance.
Where The Rain Comes From:
Just like its neighbouring county Lancashire, it's more of a case of where doesn't it come from. As the old saying goes if you can see the Pennines then it's about to rain, if you can't it's raining!
It Happened At Old Trafford:
- First Test match at Headingley 29th June 1899
- The highest innings total to date at the ground is 653-4 dec Australia vs England, 1993
- On the reverse the lowest ever total was 67 for NZ v England 1958.
- The highest ever-individual score by a batsman was D Bradman, 334 for Australia vs England, 1930
- The best bowling figures in an innings was by 8-43, R Willis for England v Australia 1981
- Australia made 404-3 in the 4th innings to beat England in 1948, the second highest in Test history, a game that saw 1723 runs for only 31 wickets.
- Jack Hearne and Peter Loader took test hat tricks here in 1899 and 1957 respectively.
- Peter May (v South Africa, 1951) and Arthur Milton, (England v South Africa, 1958) hit centuries here on their Test debut.
- Headingley is one of only two grounds where a side has won after following on, in that famous Ashes game of 1981.
How would you rate Headingly as a venue out of 5?
10 Most Recent Matches at HeadingleyCity Photo Source: http://www.wikipedia.org
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