Sydney

Ground Name Sydney Cricket Ground
Address Driver Avenue, Moore Park, NSW 2021
End names Paddington End and Randwick End
Telephone (matchdays) (02) 9339 0974
Telephone (Sydney Cricket Ground Trust) (02) 9360 6601
Ground Capacity 43,000
Email info@cricketnsw.com.au
Website www.nswblues.com.au / www.cricketnsw.com.au

The great Ashes tradition began in Sydney after England won the third Test of 1882-83 to take a 2-1 lead against Australia. After the game, the infamous ‘ladies of Melbourne’, remembering an obituary notice placed in the Sporting Times after Australia’s victory in England the previous summer, burned a bail and sent the Ashes in an urn to the English captain Ivo Bligh.

The Sydney Test is now played at the Sydney Cricket Ground - or SCG - just five miles from the famous sights of the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.

England won by 225 runs here in the final Test of the 2002-03 Ashes series with Andrew Caddick taking 10 wickets in the match and Australian captain Stephen Waugh reaching a century off the last ball of the second day - to equal Don Bradman’s record of 29 Test centuries.

The SCG pitch is famous for helping spinners in the second half of a Test match. However, batsmen could also capitalise on the early behaviour of the track in the first few days. Pursuits of fourth-innings totals are known to have gone horribly wrong, thus making the toss vital.

Venue Head-to-Head

The two teams have met 52 times at the ground. The Australians have 24 wins, with England not too far behind on 21. There have been seven draws. The last England win came in January 2003.