Even if spending eight hours getting pissed in fancy dress while clutching replica sandpaper is your idea of a living hell, you have to admit that Edgbaston’s Hollies Stand made itself known. Tim Paine started the first Test by arguing that Edgbaston was not in the top 15 most intimidating venues in the world, but Cameron Bancroft and David Warner experienced a physical hit as they strode out into that wall of sound on Thursday morning. The ground calls itself “Fortress Edgbaston” for a reason, and Australia had not won there in any format since 2001 – until Monday, when the drawbridge fell in and the turrets tumbled down.
Already a crowd-pleaser, and the first ground to hold a senior floodlit game, Edgbaston’s £32m redevelopment in 2010-11 brought new stands and increased capacity and stature.
Written by Tanya Aldred
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/aug/06/england-ashes-test-grounds-splendour-cricket under the title “If only England could match the splendour of their Ashes Test grounds | The Spin”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
