Harare Sports Club
Encyclopedia
Harare Sports Club is a cricket
ground in Harare
, Zimbabwe
. Initially known as Salisbury Sports Club, Harare Sports Club has served as the primary cricket venue in Rhodesia
and Zimbabwe since its inception. The ground became a Test venue in October 1992 when Zimbabwe played their inaugural Test
, against India
. Soon after, the ground played host to its first One Day International. In 1994, Harare Sports Club was the site of Zimbabwe's first ever Test win.
Surrounded by Jacaranda trees and with a beautiful gabled pavilion, Harare Sports Club is in the heart of the city. It is bordered by the heavily-guarded presidential palace on one side and the prestigious Royal Harare Golf Club on another. HSC hosted Zimbabwe's first Test in October 1992 and has been the country's major Test and one-day venue since. Although the club itself does not possess any of the major stands associated with major sports grounds, the capacity of around 10,000 can be increased by the use of temporary stands – a record crowd of 26,000 saw Rhodesia play the MCC in 1956. However, that capacity is rarely tested and even games against major touring sides fail to draw any other than moderate crowds. The main social centre is the pavilion with its popular bar, and the other end of the ground is home to Castle Corner, the alternative and usually lively bar. HSC is also home to the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, the country's cricket board.
The ground has a capacity of 10,000. In October 2010 Zimbabwe Cricket
announced that the planned renovations to the Harare Sports Club and the Mutare Sports Club to be prepared in time for the fledgling Domestic Twenty-20 tournament in November. The work will include an increase in the availability of seats, spectator facilities, training facilities and also Ground facilities floodlights also might be installed for day/night matches. The revamps are being done also to help Zimbabwe to return to Test cricket.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
ground in Harare
Harare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
. Initially known as Salisbury Sports Club, Harare Sports Club has served as the primary cricket venue in Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
and Zimbabwe since its inception. The ground became a Test venue in October 1992 when Zimbabwe played their inaugural Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
, against India
Indian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
. Soon after, the ground played host to its first One Day International. In 1994, Harare Sports Club was the site of Zimbabwe's first ever Test win.
Surrounded by Jacaranda trees and with a beautiful gabled pavilion, Harare Sports Club is in the heart of the city. It is bordered by the heavily-guarded presidential palace on one side and the prestigious Royal Harare Golf Club on another. HSC hosted Zimbabwe's first Test in October 1992 and has been the country's major Test and one-day venue since. Although the club itself does not possess any of the major stands associated with major sports grounds, the capacity of around 10,000 can be increased by the use of temporary stands – a record crowd of 26,000 saw Rhodesia play the MCC in 1956. However, that capacity is rarely tested and even games against major touring sides fail to draw any other than moderate crowds. The main social centre is the pavilion with its popular bar, and the other end of the ground is home to Castle Corner, the alternative and usually lively bar. HSC is also home to the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, the country's cricket board.
The ground has a capacity of 10,000. In October 2010 Zimbabwe Cricket
Zimbabwe Cricket
Zimbabwe Cricket is the governing body for the sport of cricket in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe Cricket is a full member of the International Cricket Council, and operates the Zimbabwean cricket team, organising Test tours, One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals with other nations...
announced that the planned renovations to the Harare Sports Club and the Mutare Sports Club to be prepared in time for the fledgling Domestic Twenty-20 tournament in November. The work will include an increase in the availability of seats, spectator facilities, training facilities and also Ground facilities floodlights also might be installed for day/night matches. The revamps are being done also to help Zimbabwe to return to Test cricket.
See also
External links
- Profile by CricinfoCricinfoESPNcricinfo is believed to be the largest cricket-related website on the World Wide Web. Content includes news,articles, live scorecards,live text commentary and a comprehensive and searchable database called 'StatsGuru', of historical matches and players from the 18th century to the present...