Riverside Ground in Durham has hosted 84 Vitality Blast matches since its T20 debut on 16 May 2014. The venue is the home ground for Durham, who have played 82 of those contests.
The stadium's records are defined by Durham's 231/5 highest team total and Kasey Aldridge's 6/28 best bowling figures, both achieved in the same match on 4 July 2025.
Overview
The Riverside Ground in Durham serves as a primary venue for the T20 Blast, the premier domestic Twenty20 competition in England. Since its introduction to the tournament schedule, the stadium has established itself as a consistent host for county cricket action. The venue has hosted a total of 84 matches in the competition, spanning from the inaugural fixture on 2014-05-16 through to the most recent contest on 2026-05-29. This extensive hosting period covers over a decade of T20 Blast history, providing a substantial dataset for analyzing team performances and individual records at this specific ground.
Durham County Cricket Club demonstrates overwhelming dominance at their home ground. The team has played 82 out of the 84 total matches held at the Riverside Ground, making it the most active team at the venue. This high frequency of appearances underscores the stadium's role as the de facto home for Durham's T20 Blast campaigns. The sheer volume of games played by the host county allows for a detailed examination of their statistical trends, batting averages, and bowling figures compared to visiting teams. As the primary tenant, Durham's performance metrics at the Riverside Ground are critical for understanding the venue's overall competitive balance and pitch characteristics over the years.
What is the highest team total at Riverside Ground?
The highest team total recorded at the Riverside Ground stands at 231/5, achieved by Durham in a T20 Blast fixture against Nottinghamshire on 2025-07-04. This performance represents the peak scoring output in the venue's statistical history, surpassing all previous innings totals from the 84 matches played at the ground since 2014. The chase occurred during the 2025 season, marking a significant high-water mark for batting at this Durham venue.
Contextualizing this total requires examining the broader scoring trends at the Riverside Ground. With 84 matches in the dataset, the 231/5 total by Durham is the definitive benchmark for batting dominance. No other team has surpassed this figure in the recorded history of the T20 Blast at this location. The match against Nottinghamshire provided the conditions and opposition required for such a high-scoring encounter, resulting in the current record standing unchallenged.
The disparity between the highest and lowest team totals highlights the variable nature of T20 cricket at the Riverside Ground. While Durham posted 231/5 in 2025, the lowest recorded total is 47/5 by Northamptonshire on 2015-05-15. This range of 184 runs between the extremes underscores the impact of pitch conditions, weather, and team form on scoring rates. The 231/5 total remains the upper limit of scoring potential demonstrated in the available match data.
Lowest team total and batting records
Northamptonshire posted the lowest team total at the Riverside Ground, managing just 47/5 in a match against Durham on 15 May 2015. This score remains the benchmark for batting struggles at the venue, highlighting the challenging conditions that visiting sides have occasionally faced since the ground's first T20 Blast fixture in 2014.
On the individual front, KK Jennings recorded the highest individual batting score at the venue. Playing for Lancashire, Jennings scored 108 runs on 27 August 2020. This century stands out as a significant personal milestone in the T20 Blast history of the Riverside Ground, demonstrating the scoring potential available to top-order batsmen when conditions favor the stroke-makers.
Best bowling figures at Riverside Ground
Best bowling figures at Riverside Ground
Kasey Aldridge holds the record for the best bowling performance at the Riverside Ground, taking 6 wickets for 28 runs. This achievement occurred on 2025-07-04, marking a significant milestone in the venue's T20 Blast history. The match in which Aldridge produced these figures also saw Durham post their highest team total of 231/5, highlighting a day of exceptional statistical output for the home side.
The combination of a six-wicket haul and a high-scoring innings on the same day underscores the dual nature of the pitch conditions that can emerge at the Durham venue. Aldridge's figures of 6/28 remain the benchmark for bowlers competing in the Vitality Blast at this location. No other bowler has matched this specific combination of wickets and runs conceded in a single innings since the venue hosted its first T20 match in 2014.
With 84 total matches played at the Riverside Ground between 2014 and 2026, Aldridge's performance stands out as one of the most dominant individual displays. The date of 2025-07-04 is thus notable for producing both the venue's highest team score and its best bowling figures, creating a unique statistical overlap in the stadium's record books. This dual record-setting event occurred during a period when Durham had already established itself as the most active team at the ground, having played 82 of the 84 matches.
How does Durham perform at their home ground?
Operating as the primary home venue for Durham County Cricket Club within the T20 Blast structure, the Riverside Ground reflects a high degree of franchise consistency. The club has contested 82 of the 84 total matches recorded at the stadium, establishing a near-monopoly on the schedule since the venue's inaugural T20 fixture in 2014. This extensive usage underscores the ground's central role in the county's domestic limited-overs strategy, providing a familiar environment for both batting and bowling units across multiple seasons.
The statistical dominance of the home side is evident in the venue's record books. Durham posted the highest team total at the Riverside, scoring 231/5 on 2025-07-04. This performance coincided with the best bowling figures recorded at the venue, as Kasey Aldridge claimed 6/28 in the same match. The alignment of the franchise's peak scoring output with its best individual bowling performance highlights the venue's capacity to produce decisive, high-impact games when the home team is in form.
Individual milestones further illustrate the depth of Durham's presence at the ground. KK Jennings recorded the highest individual batting score at the Riverside, amassing 108 runs on 2020-08-27. Such contributions are critical in a competition where the home advantage is quantified by the sheer volume of matches played. With 82 appearances, Durham has had more opportunities than any other franchise to adapt to the pitch conditions, allowing players like Jennings and Aldridge to capitalize on specific surface characteristics over time.
The contrast between the home team's highs and the visitors' lows reinforces the venue's challenging nature for opponents. Northamptonshire posted the lowest team total at the Riverside, managing only 47/5 on 2015-05-15. This disparity between the highest and lowest scores demonstrates the volatility of the pitch, which can reward aggressive batting or frustrate visitors depending on the day's conditions. The data from the 84 matches played between 2014 and 2026 confirms that the Riverside Ground remains a statistically significant stronghold for Durham in the T20 Blast.
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest team total at Riverside Ground?
Durheim scored 231/5 against an opponent on 4 July 2025.
What is the lowest team total at Riverside Ground?
Northamptonshire were bowled out for 47/5 on 15 May 2015.
Who holds the record for the highest individual score at the venue?
KK Jennings scored 108 on 27 August 2020.
What are the best bowling figures at Riverside Ground?
Kasey Aldridge took 6/28 on 4 July 2025.
How many Vitality Blast matches have been played at Riverside Ground?
84 matches have been played between 16 May 2014 and 29 May 2026.
Summary
Riverside Ground has hosted 84 Vitality Blast matches since 2014. The highest team total is 231/5 by Durham, while the lowest is 47/5 by Northamptonshire. KK Jennings holds the batting record with 108 runs, and Kasey Aldridge holds the bowling record with 6/28. Durham is the most active team with 82 matches played.