The Cricket Stadium in Perth, better known as WACA (Western Australia Cricket Association) Stadium, is called the home of cricket in Western Australia. Established in 1893, the WACA is one of the oldest test venues in the cricket world. The Perth is the fastest and bounciest wicket in the world. The WACA stadium is one of the oldest cricket grounds in Australia, with a capacity of more than 20,000 seats. Perth has been a historical ground not just for Australia but for world cricket too, which hosted its first-ever international match in December 1970 played between Australia and England.
An Overview of the Perth Cricket Stadium
| Venue Name | Perth Stadium |
| Also Known as | WACA |
| Opened | 1893 |
| Location | WACA Ground, Nelson Cr, East Perth WA 6004, Australia |
| Seating Capacity | 20,000 |
| Pitch Behavior | Assist Fast Bowlers |
| Shortest Boundary Distance | 62 meters |
| Longest Boundary Distance | 77 meters |
| Bowling Ends | Gloucester Park End (formerly Prindiville Stand End) and Members’ End (formerly Lillee-Marsh Stand End) |
| Floodlights | Yes |
Perth Cricket Stadium Pitch Behaviour
Traditionally, the pitch at Perth Cricket Stadium is pacey with a great bounce. The wickets at WACA are known as the world’s fastest surface, where facing real quick bowlers is not “everyone’s cup of tea.” The surface at Perth is pretty hard but provides extra bounce and pace to the fast bowlers, which eventually increases the overall ball speed. Because of such a deadly bounce and fierce pace, batters (especially Asian batters) find it extremely difficult to play here. In short, Perth is a pacer’s paradise where batsmen have nowhere to hide. Spinners have almost nothing to do at this venue except for the last five to six sessions of a test match when the surface has rough marks made by the fast bowlers on both bowling ends.
Read More: SuperSport Park Cricket Stadium Pitch Behavior || Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium Pitch Behavior
Perth Cricket Stadium Records & Stats
Perth has so far held 126 international cricket matches; the highest individual score at this venue is Matthew Hayden’s 380 runs versus Zimbabwe in a test match. Fast bowling legend Glenn McGrath produced the greatest bowling performance at the Perth Cricket Stadium, collecting 8 wickets for 24 runs against Pakistan in a test match.
| Total Matches | 126 |
| Average 1st Inning Score | 330 in Tests, 223 in ODIs, 160 in T20Is |
| Highest Total Recorded | 735/6 dec by Australia vs Zimbabwe in Tests 417/6 by Australia vs Afghanistan in ODIs 186 by Australia vs New Zealand in T20Is |
| Lowest Total Recorded | 62 by Pakistan vs Australia in Tests 70 by West Indies vs Australia in ODIs 132 by New Zealand vs Australia in T20Is |
| Highest Score Chased | 414/4 by South Africa vs Australia in Tests 310/5 by Australia vs India in ODIs 135/3 by Sri Lanka vs Australia in T20Is |
| Highest Individual Score | 380 by Matthew Hayden for Australia vs Zimbabwe in Tests 178 by David Warner for Australia vs Afghanistan in ODIs 85* by Andrew Symonds for Australia vs New Zealand in T20Is |
| Best Bowling Performance | 8/24 by Glenn McGrath for Australia vs Pakistan in Tests 5/15 by Ravi Shastri for India vs Australia in ODIs 3/18 by Ashley Noffke for Australia vs New Zealand in T20Is |
Australia Record at Perth Cricket Stadium
Australia has played 92 matches in Perth, winning 55, losing 29, and drawing 8.
| Played | 92 |
| Won | 55 |
| Lost | 29 |
| Tied | 0 |
| Draw | 8 |
| No Result | 0 |
Australia Test Record at Perth Cricket Stadium
Australia has played 44 tests at Perth, winning 25, losing 11, and drawing 8.
| Played | 44 |
| Won | 25 |
| Lost | 11 |
| Tied | 0 |
| Draw | 8 |
| No Result | 0 |
Australia ODI Record at Perth Cricket Stadium
So far, the Perth Cricket Stadium hosted 46 ODIs for Australia, with 29 victories and 17 defeats.
| Played | 46 |
| Won | 29 |
| Lost | 17 |
| Tied | 0 |
| Draw | 0 |
| No Result | 0 |
Australia T20I Record at Perth Cricket Stadium
Australia has played just 2 T20Is at Perth with a win and defeat in one game each.
| Played | 2 |
| Won | 1 |
| Lost | 1 |
| Tied | 0 |
| Draw | 0 |
| No Result | 0 |
Perth Cricket Stadium Photos
Perth Cricket Stadium Boundary Length
The smallest boundary at Perth Cricket Stadium in Perth is 62 meters, while the longest is 77 meters.
Perth Cricket Stadium Capacity
The Perth Stadium has a capacity of 20,000 people.
Perth Cricket Stadium Map & Location
WACA Ground, Nelson Cr, East Perth WA 6004, Australia
Also Read: Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium || Dubai International Cricket Stadium
FAQs
Are Waca and Optus Stadium the same?
No, the WACA and Optus stadiums are not the same; the WACA is the older cricket ground in Perth, which was established in 1893 and hosted international matches for Australia till 2017. On the other side, the Optus Stadium is the newly constructed stadium, which was built to replace the old WACA stadium; which had congested seating and a lack of modern facilities. The Optus Stadium hosted its first international match in January 2018.
Why is the WACA pitch so fast?
The pitch at WACA used to be so quick because of the natural components that were used to create the pitch. At WACA was made from the soil of a nearby dried-up river bed, which already had moisture; as a result, it allowed the grass to grow naturally. Plus, the scorching heat of Western Australia played its part in hardening the surface like concrete, which allowed the ball to bounce and skid. Because of the skidding of the surface, the ball comes quickly to the bat compared to a pitch where the ball doesn’t skid. All of these factors, the pitch at Perth used to be so fast.
How big is the Perth Cricket Ground?
The cricket ground in Perth is 130 meters wide and 165 meters long.
How is the Perth pitch?
The Perth Stadium’s pitch is fast and bouncy, which frequently has some cracks late in the game (especially in Tests), resulting in unpredictable bounce and sideways movement.
