Sophia Gardens in Cardiff has served as a T20 Blast venue since 2014, functioning as the home ground for Glamorgan County Cricket Club.

Located on the west bank of the River Taff, the stadium is part of a public park listed on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.

Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Photo: John Sutton / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0

Overview

Sophia Gardens is a public park located in Riverside, Cardiff, Wales, situated on the west bank of the River Taff. The site contains the Sophia Gardens cricket ground, which serves as the home venue for Glamorgan County Cricket Club. The gardens are listed on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales. While the ground hosts international Test cricket matches and various county fixtures, it is a significant venue within the T20 Blast competition.

According to Cricsheet data, Sophia Gardens has hosted 79 T20 Blast matches between 2014-05-30 and 2026-05-29. The venue's first recorded T20 Blast match took place in 2014, marking the beginning of its tenure as a regular stop in the English domestic T20 calendar. As the home of Glamorgan, the ground provides a distinct pitch profile and atmospheric conditions that influence match outcomes in the league.

Available data does not capture the highest team total, lowest team total, or highest individual score at this venue across the T20 Blast competition. Specific records regarding most wickets taken by a bowler or most runs scored by a batsman at Sophia Gardens are not yet captured in the available data. Detailed head-to-head matchups between specific franchises at this ground are also not provided in the current dataset.

The venue's role in the T20 Blast is defined by its capacity to host competitive fixtures for county teams. The 79 matches recorded over the period from 2014 to 2026 reflect the ground's consistent usage in the league. No specific tournament events, such as finals or semi-finals, are explicitly cited in the source material for this venue. The focus remains on the aggregate match count and the venue's status as Glamorgan's home ground.

Venue Profile

Sophia Gardens is a public park located in Riverside, Cardiff, Wales, situated on the west bank of the River Taff. The site serves as the home ground for Glamorgan County Cricket Club and hosts international Test matches as well as county cricket fixtures. The gardens are recognized for their historical significance, listed on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.

The park is named after Sophia Crichton-Stuart, Marchioness of Bute (1809–1859). The gardens were laid out in 1854 and officially opened in 1858. A notable structure on the grounds was the Sophia Gardens Pavilion, which was built in 1951 for the Festival of Britain. This pavilion collapsed in 1982. The venue is connected to Bute Park by the Millennium footbridge over the River Taff, which was constructed in 1999.

Transport links to the venue include National Express coach services departing from Sophia Gardens. These services were established following the closure of Cardiff Central bus station in 2015. The stadium has been a venue for the T20 Blast, with the first T20 match held at the ground in 2014.

T20 Blast Team Records

T20 Blast Team Records

Sophia Gardens, the home ground of Glamorgan County Cricket Club in Cardiff, Wales, has hosted T20 Blast matches since 2014. The venue is situated on the west bank of the River Taff within the public park of Sophia Gardens. Statistical records for team totals at this ground are derived from Cricsheet ball-by-ball data.

The highest team total recorded at Sophia Gardens in the T20 Blast is 243/4. This score was achieved by Glamorgan against Somerset on 2024-07-19. This performance represents the ceiling for batting output at the venue in the competition's history based on available data.

The lowest team total recorded at Sophia Gardens in the T20 Blast is 9/0. This score was achieved by Glamorgan against Surrey on 2022-06-05. This record highlights the variability of scoring conditions at the Riverside ground, ranging from high-scoring chases to low-scoring defensive displays.

These records define the statistical boundaries for team performance at Sophia Gardens in the T20 Blast. The data reflects matches played under standard T20 Blast rules, distinguishing them from other formats such as The Hundred or T20 Internationals that may also utilize the venue. No other team total records are captured in the current dataset for this specific competition.

Individual Player Records

Individual Player Records

Statistical records for individual performances at Sophia Gardens in the T20 Blast are derived from Cricsheet ball-by-ball data. The venue has hosted matches since 2014, providing a dataset for analyzing peak individual contributions by batsmen and bowlers.

The highest individual score recorded at this venue is 135 runs. This performance was achieved by KS Carlson, representing Glamorgan County Cricket Club. The innings took place on 2024-07-19. This score stands as the benchmark for batting excellence at Sophia Gardens within the available T20 Blast data.

For bowling, the best figures recorded at the ground are 6 wickets for 16 runs. These figures were delivered by MG Hogan on 2017-08-03. This performance represents the most economical and wicket-taking spell by an individual bowler at the venue in the competition's history, based on the current dataset.

These records highlight the range of individual achievements possible at Sophia Gardens, from high-scoring batting displays to dominant bowling spells. The data reflects performances specifically within the T20 Blast format, distinguishing them from other competitions that may utilize the same ground.

What are the key T20 Blast records at Sophia Gardens?

Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, Wales, has hosted 79 T20 Blast matches since the venue's first T20 fixture in 2014. As the home ground of Glamorgan County Cricket Club, the stadium provides a distinct pitch profile that has produced a range of statistical extremes over the last decade. The records detailed below are derived from Cricsheet ball-by-ball data covering the period from 2014 to 2026.

The highest team total recorded at Sophia Gardens in the T20 Blast is 243/4. This score represents the upper limit of batting performance at the venue within the available dataset. Conversely, the lowest team total is 9/0, highlighting the potential for low-scoring encounters or specific match conditions that favor the bowlers. These two figures define the range of team performances observed at the ground.

Individual batting records at Sophia Gardens are headlined by KS Carlson, who holds the highest individual score with 135 runs. This innings stands as the benchmark for individual batting achievement at the venue in the T20 Blast competition. On the bowling front, the best figures recorded are 6/16 by MG Hogan. This performance represents the most effective individual bowling spell in terms of wickets taken and runs conceded at the ground.

These statistics reflect the competitive balance at Sophia Gardens, where both high-scoring chases and dominant bowling performances have occurred. The data covers all T20 Blast matches played at the venue from its inaugural T20 season in 2014 through to the 2026 season. No other individual or team records exceed these specific values within the current Cricsheet dataset for this competition.

Frequently asked questions

When was the first T20 match played at Sophia Gardens?

The first T20 match at Sophia Gardens took place in 2014.

Which team plays their home T20 Blast matches at Sophia Gardens?

Glamorgan County Cricket Club uses Sophia Gardens as their home venue for T20 Blast matches.

Where is Sophia Gardens located?

Sophia Gardens is located in Riverside, Cardiff, Wales, on the west bank of the River Taff.

Is Sophia Gardens a historic site?

Yes, the gardens are listed on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.

What is the primary cricket league hosted at Sophia Gardens?

The primary league hosted at the venue is the T20 Blast.

See also