The Simonds Stadium is a world-class cricket venue located within Kardinia Park, South Geelong, in the Australian state of Victoria.
Operated by the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust, the sporting venue has staged AFL matches, A-League clashes as well as international cricket fixtures.
Also known as the Geelong Cricket Stadium, it is the home ground of AFL club Geelong Football Club, A-League outfit Western United and the Australian cricket team.
With a seating capacity of around 36,000, it is the largest-capacity stadium in a regional city of Australia.
The venue hosted its first international cricket match, a T20I between hosts Australia and Sri Lanka in February 2017. Sri Lanka won the match by two wickets.
Let’s have a look at the T20I records at the Simonds Stadium.
Geelong Cricket Stadium T20I records and stats
Highest total: Sri Lanka’s 176/8 against hosts Australia is the highest team total at the Simonds Stadium in T20I cricket. Put into bat, Australia rode on Moises Henriques’ unbeaten 56 off 37 balls and Michael Klinger’s 37-ball 43 to post 173 all out in 20 overs in February 2017.
In reply, Asela Gunaratne smashed 84 not out off 46 balls and Chamara Kapugedera’s run-a-ball 32 helped Sri Lanka chase down the total in the last ball of the 20th over to finish with 176/8 and secure a thrilling two-wicket win.
Lowest total: UAE’s 73 against Sri Lanka in the qualifiers of the T20 World Cup 2022 is lowest total at this venue. Chasing a target of 153, the Chundangapoyil Rizwan-led side was bowled out for 73 runs as Dushmantha Chameera and Wanindu Hasaranga bagged three wickets each.
Highest individual score: Sri Lanka’s Asela Gunaratne holds the record for the highest individual score at this ground in T20 format. During the second T20I of Sri Lanka’s tour of Australia in 2017, Gunaratne slammed an unbeaten 84 off 46 balls to help the visitors chase down 174.
Best bowling figures: Sri Lanka pacer Nuwan Kulasekara has the best bowling figures at the Simonds Stadium in T20I format. The right-arm fast bowler registered figures of 4-0-31-4 during the second T20I of the series. Kulasekara bagged the wickets of Travis Head, Pat Cummins, Andrew Tye and Jhye Richardson to wrap up the Australian innings.
Highest partnership: Two Namibian pair hold the record for the highest partnership of 70 runs at this ground in T20Is.
While Jan Frylinck and JJ Smit registered the 70-run stand against Sri Lanka in the opening match of the T20 World Cup 2022 qualifiers, David Wiese and Ruben Trumpelmann matched the record against UAE later in the same tournament.
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Featured photo: Mal Fairclough / AFP
