Kingsmead Stadium, located less than two kilometres from the Indian Ocean on South Africa’s warm east coast, is one of the country’s oldest venues. In fact, the venue will mark its centennial nearly exactly 100 years to the day that it staged its first test – 18 January 1923 – when the Durban SG bowls the first SA20 ball against the Joburg Super Kings on 11 January 2023.
Legends such as Neil Adcock, Peter and Shaun Pollock, Mike Procter, Malcolm Marshall, and Trevor Goddard all had a lot of success at Kingsmead, but the delight of the ball fizzing about off a green pitch has now transferred to spinners who love to play in Durban.
FACTS
| Capacity | 25000 |
| Known as | Sahara Stadium; Kingsmead |
| Ends | Umgeni End, Old Fort End |
| Location | Durban, South Africa |
| Time Zone | UTC +02:00 |
| Home to | KwaZulu-Natal, Natal |
| Floodlights | Yes |
Record
STATS – TEST
| Total matches | 46 |
| Matches won batting first | 19 |
| Matches won bowling first | 13 |
| Average 1st Inns scores | 298 |
| Average 2nd Inns scores | 260 |
| Average 3rd Inns scores | 258 |
| Average 4th Inns scores | 197 |
| Highest total recorded | 658/9 (166.2 Ov) by RSA vs WI |
| Lowest total recorded | 53/10 (19 Ov) by BAN vs RSA |
STATS – ODI
| Total matches | 50 |
| Matches won batting first | 25 |
| Matches won bowling first | 18 |
| Average 1st Inns scores | 234 |
| Average 2nd Inns scores | 185 |
| Highest total recorded | 372/6 (49.2 Ov) by RSA vs AUS |
| Lowest total recorded | 91/10 (29.1 Ov) by IND vs RSA |
| Highest score chased | 372/6 (49.2 Ov) by RSA vs AUS |
| Lowest score defended | 200/9 (50 Ov) by RSAW vs PAKW |
STATS – T20
| Total matches | 18 |
| Matches won batting first | 9 |
| Matches won bowling first | 7 |
| Average 1st Inns scores | 148 |
| Average 2nd Inns scores | 132 |
| Highest total recorded | 218/4 (20 Ov) by IND vs ENG |
| Lowest total recorded | 73/10 (16.5 Ov) by KEN vs NZ |
| Highest score chased | 158/7 (19.2 Ov) by RSA vs AUS |
| Lowest score defended |
Weather report
In Durban, the temperature will range between 29 and 21 degrees Celsius during the day in January. This temperature range will be suitable for the game. Rainfall, on the other hand, may be a problem. According to the forecast, at least 10 days of rain are expected during the next month. Fans will be hoping that this does not disrupt the game.
Pitch report
This Durban venue has hosted a total of 15 T20Is to date. Surprisingly, the side that batted first has won the majority of the games. When batting first, the average score is 133. This alone reveals a great deal about the wicket. So far, Morne van Wyk and David Wiese have been the top individual batting and bowling performers on this surface.