The Kingsmead Cricket Ground in Durban is one of the oldest cricket grounds in South Africa with the first international match being played in January 1923 with the Test match between South Africa and England ending in a draw.
From then on the ground has been host to more than 100 international matches including 45 Test matches, 47 ODIs and 18 T20Is. The Kingsmead Cricket Ground has also witnessed matches from two World Cups, the 2003 ODI World Cup and the 2007 T20 World Cup.
With a capacity of 25000, the Kingsmead Cricket Ground is located near the ocean in central Durban. The stadium displays an excellent mix of traditional and modern infrastructure with the grass banks just outside the boundary marrying the towering stands.
The Kingsmead Cricket Ground has been a happy hunting place for India as it was victorious in both the ODI and T20 World Cup semifinals against Kenya and Australia, respectively, in 2003 and 2007.
Moreover, Yuvraj Singh etched his name in the history books with six sixes in a Stuart Broad over during a T20 World Cup 2007 group match against England at the same venue.
Keeping that in mind let us dive deeper to know Kingsmead Cricket Ground T20I records and stats.
Australia registered the highest total in a T20I played at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground in Durban with a mammoth 226/6 against South Africa in a T20I in August 2023.
Batting first, skipper Mitchell Marsh and Tim David put on 97 runs off 50 balls for the fifth wicket and powered the Aussies past the 200-run mark with belligerent half-centuries. Marsh remained unbeaten on 92 from 49 balls while David smashed 64 off 28 balls as Australia won the match by 111 runs.
India’s 218/4 aided by Yuvraj Singh’s unbelievable display of power hitting, including six sixes in an over, against England in the T20 World Cup 2007 is the second-highest aggregate by a team at this venue.
Kenya’s 73 against New Zealand in the ICC T20 World Cup 2007 is the lowest total recorded by any team in a T20I at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground in Durban.
Bowling first, the Kiwi pace duo of Shane Bond and Mark Gillespie swept away Kenya’s top order reducing them to 1-4 with two wickets each in the first two overs. Gillespie finished with impressive figures of 4/7 while Shane Bond, Chris Martin and Daniel Vettori picked up two wickets apiece.
In response, New Zealand made light work of the chase racing to the target in under eight overs with nine wickets in hand. Gillespie was adjudged Player of the Match for his exploits with the ball.
Australia’s Mitchell Marsh holds the record for most runs at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground in T20Is with a tally of 221 runs from four matches at an astonishing average of 110.50 and a strike rate of 176.80.
Out of the four innings Marsh has stepped out to bat at this venue, the all-rounder has scored two fifties. Marsh’s unbeaten 92 from 49 balls in Australia’s 111-run win against South Africa in a T20I in August 2023 is his highest score at the Kingsmead cricket ground.
Former South Africa and Namibia all-rounder David Wiese leads the bowling charts for most wickets in T20Is at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground with nine wickets from three matches.
The medium pacer averages 7.00 at this venue with an economy rate of 5.25 picking up a wicket every eight balls he has bowled at this venue.
Wiese also has a five-wicket haul to his name in T20Is at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground picking up 5/23 against the West Indies in a 69-run win for the Proteas in January 2015.
South Africa’s Morne van Wyk holds the record for highest individual score by a batter at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground in T20Is.
The wicketkeeper-batter smashed an unbeaten 114 off 70 balls at a strike rate of 162.85 in South Africa’s 69-run win over West Indies in the final T20I of a three-match series.
Opening the batting, Morne wan Vyk hit seven sixes and nine fours during his knock to help South Africa to 195/3 in their allotted 20 overs. He carried his bat after scoring the only century in a T20I at the venue.
David Wiese also owns the record for best bowling figures by any player in a T20I at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban.
Wiese picked up 5/23 in four overs against West Indies in South Africa’s 69-run win in a T20I in 2015. His spell helped the Proteas dismiss the Windies, who were chasing a total of 196, for 126.
He picked up the crucial wickets of Lendl Simmons, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, captain Daren Sammy and Carlos Brathwaite to record the only five-wicket haul in a T20I at the venue.
Mark Gillespie’s 4/7 against Kenya in the T20 World Cup 2007 is the second-best bowling figure recorded in a T20I played at the venue.
Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir’s opening-wicket stand of 136 runs in a T20 World Cup 2007 group match against England is the highest partnership for any wicket recorded at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban.
Batting first, the duo gave India an excellent start to set the foundation for a huge total. Gambhir scored seven fours and a six in his 41-ball 58 while Sehwag smashed three sixes and four fours to make 68 off 52 balls.
Their partnership came in 89 balls and powered India to 218/4 in 20 overs. England could manage only 200/6 as India scripted a memorable win in Durban.
Photo credit: Imago
