Rose Bowl (cricket ground) facts for kids
The pavilion flanked by the Colin Ingleby-MacKenzie and Shane Warne Stands
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| Ground information | |
|---|---|
| Location | West End, Hampshire SO30 3XH |
| Coordinates | 50°55′26″N 1°19′19″W / 50.9240°N 1.3219°W |
| Establishment | 2001 |
| Capacity | 15,000 (25,000 with temporary seating) |
| Owner | RB Sport & Leisure Holdings plc |
| End names | |
Northern End Pavilion End |
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| International information | |
| First Test | 16–20 June 2011: England v Sri Lanka |
| Last Test | 19–23 June 2021: India v New Zealand |
| First ODI | 10 July 2003: South Africa v Zimbabwe |
| Last ODI | 10 September 2023: England v New Zealand |
| First T20I | 13 July 2005: England v Australia |
| Last T20I | 31 July 2022: England v South Africa |
| Domestic team information | |
| Hampshire (2001 – present) Hampshire Cricket Board (2001) Southern Vipers (2016 –present) |
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The Utilita Bowl is a famous cricket ground and hotel complex. It is located in West End, Hampshire, England. This stadium is the home of Hampshire County Cricket Club. They have played their matches here since 2001.
The Utilita Bowl was built to replace older cricket grounds in Southampton and Portsmouth. Hampshire played their very first major match here in May 2001. They won against Worcestershire by 124 runs.
Since then, the ground has hosted many big international cricket games. These include One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Test matches. It even hosted games during the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy. In 2020, it was one of two special "biosecure" venues. This meant it was used for international tours during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To host Test matches, the ground was upgraded starting in 2008. New stands were built to hold more fans. A four-star Hilton Hotel was also added, opening in 2015. This hotel overlooks the cricket field. In 2021, the Utilita Bowl hosted the first-ever final of the ICC World Test Championship. New Zealand won this big event against India.
Contents
History of the Cricket Ground
Why a New Cricket Ground Was Needed
For many years, Hampshire County Cricket Club played at Northlands Road in Southampton. But this old ground was surrounded by houses. This made it impossible to make it bigger. Hampshire also wanted to host international cricket games. Northlands Road was not suitable for such big events.
So, in 1987, people started talking about moving to a new place. A perfect spot was found in West End. It was a gently sloping field near a motorway.
The famous architect Sir Michael Hopkins designed the new ground. His design for the main building, called the pavilion, looked like a tented roof. This was similar to another famous cricket ground, Lord's. Building started in 1997. The project cost about £20 million. A lot of this money came from the National Lottery and Sport England.
The ground is built into the side of a hill. This creates a natural "bowl" shape. In 2000, it was named The Rose Bowl. This name honored the club's rose and crown logo and the ground's shape.
First Years and Big Matches
Hampshire's first official match at the Rose Bowl was in May 2001. It was a List A match against Essex, but rain stopped the game. The first completed match was against Surrey, which Hampshire lost. Their first win came days later in a first-class match against Worcestershire.
In 2001, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) decided the Rose Bowl would host a Youth Test match. The next year, they announced it would host One Day International (ODI) games from 2004. The main pavilion was finished in 2002. It was special because it had jacuzzis in the players' changing rooms!
In 2003, the Rose Bowl hosted only the second-ever Twenty20 match. This was between Hampshire and Sussex. On July 10, 2003, the ground held its first ODI. South Africa played Zimbabwe. Everyone thought it was a huge success.
In 2004, the ground hosted five ODIs for the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy. During this tournament, some records were set. India scored 290/4 against Kenya. The United States was bowled out for only 65 runs by Australia. Also, Mervyn Dillon took 5 wickets for only 29 runs for the West Indies.
In 2005, England played their first-ever Twenty20 International (T20I) here against Australia. England won by 100 runs. The ground also hosted the 2008 Twenty20 Cup Finals Day. To fit more fans for big games, temporary seats were added. This boosted the capacity from 6,500 to 15,000 people.
In its early years, the pitches at the Rose Bowl were tricky. They often helped bowlers more than batsmen. This led to many low-scoring games. But as the pitches improved, higher scores became more common. In 2005, Hampshire scored a massive 714/5. In that same match, John Crawley scored 311 not out, which is still the highest individual score at the ground.
Expanding the Stadium
Hampshire wanted to host Test cricket matches. But in 2006, their application was turned down. This made Hampshire's chairman, Rod Bransgrove, decide to invest £35 million in upgrading the ground. The plan was to build new roads, increase seating, and add a hotel. This would make the Rose Bowl more suitable for big international events.
The plans included building two new stands. These would increase the permanent seating to 15,000. A four-star hotel with 175 rooms would also be built, overlooking the field. These upgrades convinced the ECB to grant the Rose Bowl Test status. The first Test match was scheduled for 2011, between England and Sri Lanka.
The upgrades faced some challenges. The new access road was not ready in time for the Test match. Also, local hotels tried to stop the hotel construction. But the High Court allowed the hotel to be built.
In 2010, the Rose Bowl hosted the finals day of the 2010 Friends Provident t20 tournament. Hampshire won the final on their home ground. The Rose Bowl was also voted "Best International Ground" by fans.
The first Test match was played from June 16-20, 2011. Rain affected the game, and it ended in a draw. But Ian Bell and Kumar Sangakkara scored the first Test centuries at the ground.
In 2013, Aaron Finch of Australia set a new T20 International record here. He scored 156 runs off just 63 balls against England. This included 14 sixes, which was also a record!
New Names for the Ground
In February 2012, the cricket club announced a new sponsorship deal. An insurance company called Ageas became the main sponsor. The ground was officially renamed the Ageas Bowl. This partnership lasted for several years.
In January 2024, a new sponsor was announced: Utilita Energy. So, the official name of the venue became the Utilita Bowl.
Facilities and What You Can Do There
Besides the main cricket ground, there's a smaller field called the Nursery Ground. This is where Hampshire's second team plays matches. It also hosts games for the Hampshire Academy.
The main building is the Rod Bransgrove Pavilion. It has changing rooms for players and special areas for club members. These areas are named after famous cricketers like Robin Smith and Shane Warne. There's also a restaurant and a cricket academy. The academy has six practice lanes and is open to the public. It's known as one of the best training facilities outside of Lord's.
The new stands have food and drink areas on the ground floor. There's also a club shop where you can buy team gear. These stands also have rooms for conferences and events when there are no matches.
The Utilita Bowl complex also includes the Boundary Lakes Golf Club. This is an eighteen-hole golf course that opened in 2017. It's set in the beautiful countryside around the stadium. There's also a David Lloyd health club on site.
Every November, the venue hosts one of the biggest fireworks displays on the South Coast. It's also a popular place for big music concerts. Famous artists like Oasis, Billy Joel, The Who, Neil Diamond, Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams, Little Mix, and Arctic Monkeys have all performed here.
Cricket Records at the Utilita Bowl
Test Match Records
- Highest team score: 583/8 by England against Pakistan in 2020.
- Lowest team score: 170 by India against New Zealand in 2021.
- Highest individual score: 267 by Zak Crawley for England against Pakistan in 2020.
- Best bowling in one innings: 6/42 by Jason Holder for West Indies against England in 2020.
One-Day International Records
- Highest team score: 373/3 (50 overs) by England against Pakistan in 2019.
- Lowest team score: 65 (24 overs) by USA against Australia in 2004.
- Highest individual score: 189 not out by Martin Guptill for New Zealand against England in 2013.
- Best bowling in one innings: 5/29 by Mervyn Dillon for West Indies against Bangladesh in 2004, and 5/29 by Shakib Al Hasan for Bangladesh against Afghanistan in 2019.
Twenty20 International Records
- Highest team score: 248/6 (20 overs) by Australia against England in 2013.
- Lowest team score: 79 (14.3 overs) by Australia against England in 2005.
- Highest individual score: 156 by Aaron Finch for Australia against England in 2013.
- Best bowling in one innings: 4/22 by Paul Collingwood for England against Australia in 2005.
Domestic Cricket Records
First-Class Records
- Highest team score: 714/5 by Hampshire against Nottinghamshire in 2005.
- Lowest team score: 86 by Worcestershire against Hampshire in 2007.
- Highest individual score: 311 not out by John Crawley for Hampshire against Nottinghamshire in 2005.
- Best bowling in one innings: 8/90 by Alan Mullally for Hampshire against Warwickshire in 2001.
List A Records
- Highest team score: 350/5 (50 overs) by Gloucestershire against Hampshire in 2008.
- Lowest team score: 101 (36.4 overs) by Sussex against Hampshire in 2003.
- Highest individual score: 167 not out by Sean Ervine for Hampshire against Ireland in 2009.
- Best bowling in one innings: 6/27 by Stuart Clark for Hampshire against Surrey in 2007.
Twenty20 Records
- Highest team score: 225/2 (20 overs) by Hampshire against Middlesex in 2006.
- Lowest team score: 72 (14 overs) by Kent against Hampshire in 2011.
- Highest individual score: 124 not out by Michael Lumb for Hampshire against Essex in 2009.
- Best bowling in one innings: 5/19 by Danny Briggs for Hampshire against Durham in 2011.
Images for kids
Before Redevelopment
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View from the Pavilion End, looking toward the Northern End of the ground.
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Main pavilion at the Rose Bowl. The England team are taking to the field in a friendly match against Hampshire.
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Another view of the pavilion.
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Nursery Ground.
After Redevelopment
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The pavilion, with seating section removed.
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The East Stand. Top right of the stand is the Shaun Udal suite.
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The new West Stand. Top left of the stand is the Shane Warne suite.
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The new East Stand under floodlights during an England v Australia ODI in 2010.
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Similar view of the East Stand, in the foreground Eoin Morgan has just brought up his century with the winning runs.
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The Hilton Hotel under construction in May 2013.
