Cricket in Cardiff

Sophia Gardens is large leafy expanse of parkland in the centre of Cardiff, close to the river. It’s a lovely spot for a stroll in the sun, but it’s also a place of pilgrimage for cricket fans in Wales because it’s the home of Glamorgan County Cricket Club.

It's a world class arena capable of holding nearly 16,000 spectators, so visiting teams know the atmosphere at Sophia Gardens will be electric when the ground is full and home fans are cheering on their team.

Sophia Gardens is accessible for all visitors, although it's best to contact them in advance if you have any specific questions or requirements. Several of the entrances have level access, and there are viewing areas for wheelchair and mobility scooter users, including an elevated platform accessed via a lift. Catering and toilet facilities are also accessible and assistance dogs are welcome.

Sophia Gardens regularly hosts international cricket. This Autumn, England Men play against New Zealand in a One Day International on 8 September 2023.

If you can’t get a ticket for the international games, there are plenty of other opportunities to watch cricket in Cardiff, including 2023 Vitality Blast in June. There are lots of different styles of cricket to choose from too.

The new 100-ball game is fast and exciting. It involves eight teams made up on a regional basis from a combination of the counties. Men's and women's matches usually take place on the same day, so you get to see both. The Welsh team is called Welsh Fire. 

The games are a fantastic day out for all of the family, with all sorts of other entertainment going on alongside. There are four matches in Sophia Gardens on 02, 12, 14 and 20 August 2023.

One day cup games are 50 overs, so they last a little longer than the Hundred games. Glamorgan’s men are current holders of the cup – known as the Royal London Cup. The team begin their defence of it in August last year with their first home match against Kent Spitfires at Sophia Gardens on Thursday, 4 August 2022.

If you’re more into the traditional format of the game, Glamorgan have a number of home matches taking place. There are two county championship games here in September. These typically run across four days and it’s usually easy to get tickets. So if you just fancy a day in the sun, watching some cricket you’re unlikely to be disappointed.

To find out more and buy tickets for all games visit the Glamorgan Cricket website.

Read more: Top tips for visiting Cardiff for a match or show

Whilst the vast majority of professional cricket games in Wales take place at Sophia Gardens, there are some matches played elsewhere. The men’s first XI played two Royal London Cup matches at The Gnoll in Neath - against Lancashire on 17 August 2022 and Hampshire on 19 August 2022. It was the first time the team has played here since 1994.

Colwyn Bay, St Helen’s and Newport all have cricket grounds that have hosted first team cricket in the past and the ambition is to host games at some of these grounds in future years again.

Read more: Things to do in Neath and Port Talbot

Even if you don’t manage to get tickets to watch a game of cricket in Wales you can soak up a little of the atmosphere with a visit to the CC4 Museum of Welsh Cricket. The museum holds an extensive collection of cricketing memorabilia from across the decades – some dating back to the 18th century.

Trophies, awards, signed bats, old photographs, scorecards and more, it’s located at Sophia Gardens too. It’s open on match days. You can also visit on other days by prior arrangement – just let them know at least three working days ahead of your visit (museum@glamorgancricket.co.uk). You can also do a tour of the stadium using QR-coded information panels to read on your phone.

Read more: Mad for museums in Wales

Cricket at club level is played at grounds right across Wales. If you’d like to just catch a few overs, perhaps with a pint or a cuppa to sip as you do, then you can find out where club cricket is taking place on the play-cricket.com website.

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