1 Edgbaston holds a special place in the heart of all Ashes fans. During the legendary 2005 series, Steve Harmison’s dismissal of Michael Kasprowitz gave England victory by just two runs to level the series – the closest Ashes match ever and the second narrowest margin in Test cricket history. The final wicket led to one of the sport’s most iconic photographs, with Andrew Flintoff crouching to console a despondent Brett Lee. “I went over and shook his hand and there’s that picture,” said Flintoff later, “where I whisper in his ear: ‘It’s 1-1, son.’”
2 Edgbaston is situated on land originally owned by the Calthorpe estate. After George, 3rd Baron Calthorpe, had begun developing the manor of Edgbaston as a fashionable suburb for wealthy industrialists from the start of the 19th century, the estate decided that a cricket ground would add to the area’s well-to-do image.
3 Warwickshire County cricket club was founded in 1882 at the Regent Hotel, Leamington Spa, after local teacher William Ansell called a meeting to propose creating a representative club. Several towns laid claim to the new setup but Ansell, who became secretary, pushed for Birmingham to be its home. The first match at the new ground was on 7 and 8 June 1886 against the MCC, watched by 3,000 spectators over two days.
4 Ansell believed Birmingham’s growing population and extensive railway network would be ideal for staging Test matches. He was proved right when Edgbaston was awarded the first Test between England and Australia in 1902, although things didn’t go quite to plan. Warwickshire built a permanent stand and two temporary stands, spending around £1,500. Unfortunately, their share of the tour funds was only £750.
5 Edgbaston has been Ian Bell’s home ground throughout his career. In 2014 he became the first Warwickshire player to win 100 Test caps for England and was awarded honorary life membership of his county club.
6 Several of cricket’s most enduring batting records have been set at Edgbaston. The fourth-wicket stand of 411 between Peter May and Colin Cowdrey against the West Indies in 1957 is still England’s highest-ever partnership.
7 In 1994 the peerless Brian Lara scored 501 not out for Warwickshire against Durham – not only the highest ever score at Edgbaston but the highest ever score by a batsman in first class cricket.
8 Rain helped Edgbaston make history as the venue of the first competitive floodlit day-night match in the UK. The first such official game was scheduled for the Oval on 26 June 1997, between Surrey and Nottinghamshire in what was then known as the AXA Life Sunday League. However, the weather was cruel and the match was abandoned without a ball being bowled. Just under a month later the honour went to Edgbaston instead, when a 16,000 crowd watched Warwickshire play Somerset.
9 Edgbaston has hosted the Twenty20 Finals Day more than any other ground and is home to the event until at least 2016. Yet it wasn’t until 2014 that Warwickshire, playing as Birmingham Bears, were crowned champions on their home turf for the first time.
10 For 20 years from 1981, the Brumbrella was Edgbaston’s not-so secret weapon against the elements. Made from North Sea oil pipes wrapped in tarpaulin, this 183 metres-long motorised cover was unrolled across the playing surface whenever rain stopped play. However, the England & Wales Cricket Board turned against flat covers like the Brumbrella, claiming they caused pitches to “sweat”. A lighter machine dubbed “Son of Brumbrella” replaced it but a succession of mechanical breakdowns sealed its fate. The Edgbaston groundstaff now use a “hover cover” which is moved into place by nothing more sophisticated than human muscle power.
11 Alastair Cook scored 294 against India at Edgbaston in 2011, during the series that saw England become the number one ranked Test team. When will they next sit at the very top of cricket’s world order?
