The 15 matches of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, to be held from June 1-18, will be played at three venues – The Oval in London, Edgbaston in Birmingham and the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, Wales.
The Oval will host the tournament opener between England and Bangladesh on June 1 and the final on June 18. The two semifinals will be held at Cardiff and Edgbaston on June 14 and 15 respectively.
Here’s a brief synopsis of the three venues:
THE OVAL
City: London | Capacity: 24,500
Brief history
Formed in 1945, it is the home ground of the Surrey County Cricket Club. The first-ever Test match in England was played at the venue in 1880. In the late 1800s, 19 FA Cup final matches were played at the Oval that has also hosted international football and rugby matches involving England. It is one of the biggest grounds in England and has held matches of the 1975, 1979, 1983 and 1999 Cricket World Cups. It had hosted the 2004 Champions Trophy final.
Major matches hosted
The Oval has witnessed many epic moments in Test cricket as well as in ODIs with the latest one being the 2004 Champions Trophy final that saw West Indies bounce back to win the title with a two-wicket win over England in a low-scoring match.
- June 1: England v Bangladesh
- June 3: Sri Lanka v South Africa
- June 5: Australia v Bangladesh
- June 8: India v Sri Lanka
- June 11: India v South Africa
- June 18: Final
This is the same venue where Sir Donald Bradman had played his last ever innings in 1948, failing to score the four runs required for a Test average of 100.
ODI RECORDS
Highest team total: 398/5 by New Zealand against England on June 12, 2015
Highest individual score: 162 in 118 balls by England’s Jason Roy against Sri Lanka on June 29, 2016
Best bowling figures: 6/42 by Pakistan’s Umar Gul against England on September 17, 2010
EDGBASTON
City: Birmingham | Capacity: 25,000
Brief history
Edgbaston is home to the Warwickshire County Cricket Club since 1894 and is considered as the best ground in England. According to many former English captains, it provides the most hostile and intimidating atmosphere for visiting teams. India, however, have happy memories of the ground as they had recorded a five-run win over England in the rain-curtailed final of the 2013 Champions Trophy.
Major matches hosted
Like all the old grounds in England, it has a rich history of epic encounters. As far as ODIs are concerned, the most famous match played at the venue was the 1999 World Cup semifinal between Australia and South Africa which ended in a tie after the Proteas choked once again chasing a target of 213.
- June 2: New Zealand v Australia
- June 4: India v Pakistan
- June 7: Pakistan v South Africa
- June 10: England v Australia
- June 15: Semifinal 2 (A2 v B1)
The venue was also the scene of Brian Lara’s world-record 501 not out in 1994 for Warwickshire against Durham. The venue had also witnessed England record a two-run win over Australia in the 2005 Ashes that helped them level the series and turn the tide in their favour.
ODI RECORDS
Highest team total: 408/9 by England against New Zealand on June 9, 2015
Highest individual score: 171* in 201 balls by New Zealand’s Glenn Turner against East Africa on June 7, 1975
Best bowling figures: 5/11 by Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi against Kenya on September 14, 2004
SOPHIA GARDENS
City: Cardiff | Capacity: 15,643
Brief history
The venue is the home of Glamorgan County Cricket Club since 1995 when they signed a 125-year lease to make it their permanent base. The first international played at the venue was during the 1999 World Cup between Trans-Tasman rivals Australia and New Zealand. The first match of the 2009 Ashes was held at the stadium, which made it the 100th venue to host a Test.
Major matches hosted
While the venue has become a regular fixture on international calendar during the English summer, one of the most famous matches it hosted saw Bangladesh record a thrilling five-wicket win over Australia in the NatWest Series in 2005.
- June 6: England v New Zealand
- June 9: New Zealand v Bangladesh
- June 12: Sri Lanka v Pakistan
- June 14: Semifinal 1 (A1 v B2)
Chasing a target of 250, teen sensation Mohammad Ashraful scored a century to guide Bangladesh to their 10th ODI victory. It also played host to the first one-day match between England and Wales in 2002, which Wales won by eight wickets.
ODI RECORDS
Highest total: 331/7 by India against South Africa on June 6, 2013
Highest score: 114 off 94 balls by India’s Shikhar Dhawan against South Africa on June 6, 2013
Best figures: 4/28 by India’s Ravindra Jadeja against England on August 27, 2014
