St George’s Park: South Africa’s first Test ground is steeped in cricket history

A landmark venue in South African cricket

Known formally as The Crusaders Ground but commonly called St George’s Park, the Gqeberha venue became the first ground in South Africa to host a Test when it staged a match in March 1889. It is also the country’s second-oldest cricket ground and the home of the St George’s Park Cricket Club.

The ground was substantially improved ahead of the 2003 Cricket World Cup. Of the R35-million allocated for improvements, R11-million was spent on St George’s Park. The venue hosted five matches during the tournament, including a semi-final and the high-profile England-Australia clash.

A distinctive atmosphere

The ground features stands and grassed embankments, and is particularly associated with the enthusiastic band that turns out for one-day internationals and Test matches.

St George’s Park hosted its first one-day international in December 1992, when South Africa played India. It was also the venue for South Africa’s final Test before the country was banned from international cricket. Beyond cricket, the ground has hosted rugby matches.