Trent Bridge was first used as a cricket ground in the 1830s. The first recorded cricket match was held on an area of ground behind the Trent Bridge Inn in 1838.[2] Trent Bridge hosted its first Test match in 1899, with England playing against Australia.
The ground was first opened in 1841 by William Clarke, husband of the proprietress of the Trent Bridge Inn[2] and himself captain of William Clarke's All-England Eleven. He was commemorated in 1990 by the opening of the new William Clarke Stand, which incorporates the Rushcliffe Suite.
In 1950, an electronically operated scoreboard was installed at this venue, then the world's largest at any cricket stadium.[3]
Trent Bridge is considered to be one of the most beautiful grounds in world cricket.[4] Trent Bridge's pavilion, kept within the architectural parameters of its 1889 foundation, is thought of as one of the most renowned trademarks of cricket because it faces the wicket at an angle.[citation needed] Recent developments include the £7.2 million Radcliffe Road Cricket Centre, opened in 1998 and the state of the art £1.9 million Fox Road stand, which has received awards for its architectural excellence.[5] The latter includes a modernistic aircraft-wing roof and was opened in 2002 despite a conflict with a small group of local residents over the lack of sunlight that this would cause to their properties.[citation needed]
Commencing in 2007, Trent Bridge has undergone redevelopment with the construction of a new stand to replace the Parr Stand and West Wing and the addition of one to five rows of extra seating at the front of several of the other stands.[6] This increased capacity from 15,358 to 17,500,[7] and the work was completed in time for the 2008 Test match against New Zealand. The stand was officially opened on 5 June by Prince Philip.[8] The stand continued to be officially called the 'New Stand' for a number of years, also being referred to as the Bridgford Road Stand,[9] before being renamed the Smith Cooper Stand in a sponsorship deal from March 2016.[10]
Bowling takes place from the Stuart Broad End (named the Pavilion End until September 2023 with the official renaming on 18 July 2024)[11][12] and the Radcliffe Road End, with the wickets laid square of the Fox Road, William Clarke and Smith Cooper Stands.
International records
Test matches
In Test matches held at the Trent Bridge, the highest team total is 658 for 8 declared, scored by England against Australia in 1938.[13] The lowest team total is 60, scored by Australia against England in 2015,[14]Stuart Broad took figures of 8/15 during this innings including claiming his 300th Test wicket with the dismissal of Chris Rogers.[15] The highest individual innings was made by Denis Compton when he scored 278 against Pakistan in 1954.[16]Sachin Tendulkar passed the 11,000-run mark in the second Test in 2007.[17] In 2013, Australia's Ashton Agar achieved the highest Test score by a number 11 batter.[18]
In Tests, the leading run-scorers at the venue are Mike Atherton (1,083 runs), Denis Compton (955 runs) and Graham Gooch (936 runs).[19] The leading wicket-takers are James Anderson (73 wickets), Stuart Broad (46 wickets) and Alec Bedser (41 wickets).[20]
One Day International matches
In 2016, England broke the record for highest One Day International (ODI) score when they made 444/3 against Pakistan at the ground.[21] They bettered this score on the same ground two years latter when making 481/6 against Australia.[22]
In ODIs, the leading run-scorers here are Eoin Morgan (471 runs), Alex Hales (441 runs), and Jos Buttler (439 runs).[23] The leading wicket-takers are James Anderson (16 wickets), Stuart Broad (14 wickets) and Waqar Younis (12 wickets).[24]
Trent Bridge has a history of hosting football matches. Notts County Football Club played their important games at the ground from the 1860s, and moved there permanently in 1883 when Nottingham Forest left. However, games early and late in the season had to be played elsewhere due to the cricket and Notts County finally left in 1910, moving to Meadow Lane.
Trent Bridge also hosted an international match, England beating Ireland 6–0 on 20 February 1897.[25]
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