WACA Ground - Perth Cricket Ground
Originally known as the Western Australian Cricket
Association Ground, WACA Ground in Perth is
actually built on old swamp land, has been the home to many sporting
events including AFL, Rugby and Soccer, but its true recognition is
as a cricket ground. Although it was first used in 1890, transport
problems meant it was not part of Australia's main cricket community.
It hosted its first cricket test between in 1970 between Australia and
England and its first ODI in 1980 between India and New Zealand. The
trip from the east was eased a little with the building of a railway,
and the introduction of scheduled flights that Perth become truly
accessible.
The WACA staged its first Test in 1970-71 and soon established
a reputation for being a fast and hard track, and that continued
until the last couple of years when the surface flattened out. The
often intense Perth heat is famously eased in the afternoon by the
Fremantle Doctor, a breeze which sweeps in along the Swan River.
Its redevelopment in 2002 included building a new small grandstand
and players’ pavilion, reducing the size of the playing arena,
and replacing seats with grass hills on each side and replacing all
the seats with new ones. As a result, the permanent capacity of the
stadium is 22,000 with the use of temporary stands used for all major
events to boost it to 24,500. |
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