The thrill of watching a nail-biting match in a cricket stadium while cheering for your team, at the top of your voice, has no parallel! Kanpurites know this feeling the best, for Green Park Stadium has been hosting national and international matches on its pitch since it was established as a cricket ground in 1945. Several historic games have been played here, however, do you know that this cricket ground was once a favourite horse riding spot for a British lady? If this set of information has made you curious to know more about the past and present of this stadium, then keep scrolling!
One of the best batting pitches in the world
One of the famous international cricket stadiums in the world, Green Park Stadium is named after Madam Green, who used to go horse-riding in this area during the 1940s. Established in 1945, this stadium hosted its first test match in 1952 and the first ODI in 1986. The two ends of Green Park are named Mill Pavilion End and Hostel End after Elgin Mills (the first mill of Cawnpore Woollen Mills) and DAV college (located nearby), respectively.
The Green Park Stadium witnessed the legendary game between India and New Zealand on 26 September 2016, when the Indian team, captained by Virat Kohli, played its 500th test match. A batsman-friendly pitch, it was here that Azharuddin blasted the last of his 3 consecutive centuries, marking his debut, and Afridi bludgeoned a century in mere 45 balls! Apart from being the place where several records have been etched in time, it is also believed to have the world’s largest manually operated scoreboard.
Knock Knock
Often called ‘Woolmer Turf’ in remembrance of the late cricketer and coach, Bob Woolmer, who was born at Kanpur’s Macrobert Hospital, Green Park has hosted a few IPL matches too. Further, this ground is to house a medley of memories with selfie points, visitor’s gallery, cricket museum and much more. So if next time there’s a match scheduled in Kanpur, don’t miss out on these exciting new additions!
