One of the best cricket stadiums in the world, the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi cost $22 million to build. It was inaugurated in May 2004, and Scotland’s match against Kenya in the Intercontinental Cup that November served as its first first-class event.
The two large stands at either end of the field dominate it, and there are large grassy banks where spectators can sit square to the wicket. However, during the daytime, those might not be the most appealing because there is no shade. The large changing rooms are located under one of the stands instead of a pavilion, and teams watch from inside cooled glass rooms.
Sheikh Zayed Stadium Pitch Report
The grassless, barren parts of the brownish-tinged surface are suitable for batters and spin bowlers. Additionally, the surface is sluggish and flat, making it ideal for batting. Swing bowlers have a difficult task at hand. Due to the lack of grass, getting the bounce is difficult. In the early going, the dry pitch helps slow seamers, but as the days go by, the wicket flattens out. Spin bowlers can be a huge asset to the team in Test matches if they are patient and effective.
Sheikh Zayed Stadium Test Pitch Report
Test Match Pitch Report and Toss Factor:
The side that wins the toss at Sheikh Zayed Cricket field typically chooses to bat first in order to get a winning score on the scorecard because the fast bowlers struggle greatly in the early going due to the lack of grass on the pitch. In Test matches, the average first innings score is over 350. By the third and fourth innings, the footprints of the bowlers from the previous day improve the situation, and the batters start to struggle against spin spinners, which is the cause of the sharp decline in average scores.
Here are the average innings scores from the previous five test matches played at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Ground:
- Test match averages for the first and second innings are 358 and 340 runs, respectively.
- 273 runs is the average third-inning score in test matches.
- The fourth inning in a test match typically scores 165 runs.
We can infer from the average scores of all four innings of the last five Test matches played at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Ground that the average score declines with each additional innings, with the first innings having a higher average in comparison. It is clear that the opening two days have less swing, making it simpler for batsmen to score runs. Although the surface becomes flatter with time, the spinners may still aid lower the run rate even if the bowlers must bowl a lot to reap the benefits.
Test Matches at Sheikh Zayed Stadium: Winning Record
The side batting first has prevailed in each of the last five Test matches played here. Only two teams were able to win by bowling first out of the 15 Test matches that were played there, with the other four being tied. Nine of the matches were won by the side that batted first.
Sheikh Zayed Stadium ODI Pitch Report
The teams winning the toss in an ODI at Sheikh Zayed Stadium always choose to bat first since the pitch is designed for batting. 33 teams have won by batting first in the 51 matches that have been played here. In addition, 27 teams have totaled more than 250 runs in the opening innings. On bright, hot days, the dry, uneven pitch here might be helpful for spinners. The team batting first will aim for a high total and put pressure on the opposing team because batsmen will enjoy batting here.
Here are the average scores from both innings of the previous five ODI games played at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Ground:
- The average first inning score in ODI matches is 245 runs.
- 211 runs on average are scored in the second inning of ODI games.
The pitch situation for One Day International matches is comparable to that of Test matches. The team batting first has tended to score more runs in the last five games played here.