Sophia Gardens (cricket ground) facts for kids
The Cardiff Wales Stadium, also known as Sophia Gardens Cardiff, is a famous cricket stadium in Cardiff, Wales. It's located right by the River Taff in an area called Sophia Gardens. This stadium is the home ground for the Glamorgan County Cricket Club. It's also a special place where big international Test cricket matches are played.
| Cardiff Wales Stadium | |||||
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Thatchers Pavilion
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| Ground information | |||||
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| Location | Cardiff, Wales | ||||
| Coordinates | 51°29′14″N 3°11′29″W / 51.48722°N 3.19139°W | ||||
| Capacity | 15,643 | ||||
| Owner | Cardiff City Council | ||||
| Architect | HLN Architects | ||||
| Website | http://www.thesseswalec.com/ | ||||
| End names | |||||
River Taff End  Cathedral Road End |
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| International information | |||||
| First Test | 8–12 July 2009: England v  Australia |
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| Last Test | 8–11 July 2015: England v Australia |
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| First ODI | 20 May 1999: Australia v  New Zealand |
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| Last ODI | 1 June 2025: England v  West Indies |
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| First T20I | 5 September 2010: England v  Pakistan |
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| Last T20I | 13 September 2024: England v Australia |
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| First WODI | 17 August 2003: England v  South Africa |
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| Only WT20I | 31 August 2015: England v Australia |
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| Team information | |||||
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| As of 13 September 2026 Source: ESPNcricinfo |
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Contents
Home of Glamorgan Cricket
(The Cathedral Road Stand)
(now called the Castell Howell Stand)
Sophia Gardens is the home of Glamorgan County Cricket Club. This team has played its matches here since May 24, 1967. Before that, they played at Cardiff Arms Park.
In 1995, the club secured a long-term lease for the ground. This meant they could stay there for 125 years. Next to the cricket ground is a big sports center. It's called the Sport Wales National Centre.
Exciting International Matches
Sophia Gardens has hosted international cricket matches since May 20, 1999. The first big game was a 1999 Cricket World Cup match. It was between Australia and New Zealand.
From 2001 to 2012, the stadium regularly hosted One Day International (ODI) games. It hosted nine of these matches. In 2006, the England team played its first match here. They played against Pakistan.
In 2012, Sophia Gardens was chosen for the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. It was one of three venues for this important tournament. The stadium hosted five matches, including the opening game. That game was between India and South Africa. It also hosted a semi-final match.
The stadium has also seen Twenty20 International (T20I) games. England played Pakistan here in 2010. They also played Australia in 2015.
Hosting Test Cricket
On April 11, 2008, it was announced that Sophia Gardens would host major Test matches. A Test match is the longest form of cricket. The first Test match here was on July 8, 2009. It was the opening game of an Ashes series. This is a famous series between England and Australia.
This match made Sophia Gardens the 100th stadium to host a Test match. In 2011, there was a problem with payments. Because of this, the stadium lost the right to host a Test match in 2012. However, it hosted the first Test of the 2015 Ashes series.
Sophia Gardens was also one of 11 stadiums for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. It hosted four group matches during that tournament.
Stadium Upgrades
The stadium underwent a big upgrade that cost £9.4 million. About half of this money came as a loan from Cardiff Council. The goal was to make the stadium even better.
Construction work for the upgrades started in April 2007. The improved stadium opened for matches on May 9, 2008. The first game was between the Glamorgan Dragons and the Gloucestershire Gladiators.
Stadium Names Over Time
On March 4, 2008, Glamorgan Cricket Club made a deal with a company called SWALEC. This deal gave SWALEC the right to name the new stadium. It was a 10-year sponsorship deal.
In June 2015, the stadium's name changed again. It became "The SSE SWALEC." This was because SWALEC was owned by a company called SSE plc. The new logo was designed to look like the stadium. In April 2018, the sponsorship deal ended. The stadium then went back to its original name, Sophia Gardens.
See also
- Sport in Cardiff
- List of cricket grounds in England and Wales
- Cricket Wales
