Cape Town - The world’s biggest cricket magazine has branded Newlands the second best ground in the world to watch Test cricket at.
In a lead-story survey published in the May edition of UK-based The Cricketer - formerly The Wisden Cricketer - a large panel of journalists, broadcasters, photographers and fans placed Newlands only behind Lord’s, the symbolic home of the game.
The famous London venue was described as the “alpha and omega of cricket venues ... the venue upon which every cricketer yearns to leave his mark”.
Grounds from all 10 Test-playing nations were considered, and no other South African venue featured in the top 10 of 26 highlighted.
Just behind Newlands in third spot was Australia’s similarly picturesque Adelaide Oval.
On Cricket South Africa’s website, WPCA chief executive Andre Odendaal was quoted as saying: “This is an important endorsement of a place that has special meaning for both Capetonians and South African cricket.”
Newlands traditionally gets the best Test gates in South Africa and routinely hosts the bumper New Year home Test match.
Top 10 Test playing venues:
1. Lords, London
2. Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa
3. Adelaide Oval, Australia
4. Galle International Stadium, Sri Lanka
5. Trent Bridge, Nottingham
6. Sydney Cricket Ground, Australia
7. Melbourne Cricket Ground
8. Antigua Recreation Ground, Antigua
9. Kensington Oval, Barbados
10. Basin Reserve, New Zealand
One wonders if those SA Brewery smoke stacks lost us top spot.