WACA Ground

Lore & Background

The WACA has been referred to as Western Australia's 'home of cricket' since the early 1890s, with Test cricket played at the ground since the 1970–71 season. The ground is the home venue of Western Australia's first-class cricket team, the Western Warriors, and the state's Women's National Cricket League side, the Western Fury. The Perth Scorchers, a Big Bash League franchise, played home matches at the ground until 2019. The Scorchers and Australian national team have shifted most matches to the nearby 60,000-seat Perth Stadium. The pitch is regarded as one of the quickest and bounciest in the world. These characteristics, in combination with the afternoon sea-breezes (the Fremantle Doctor), have historically made the ground attractive for pace and swing bowlers. The outfield is exceptionally fast; as of February 2016, three of the nine fastest Test centuries have been scored at the WACA. Throughout its history, the ground has also been used for athletics, Australian rules football, baseball, soccer, rugby league, rugby union, and international rules football, though most of these activities have relocated. It has also hosted major rock concerts. The WACA Museum is on-site.

In Their Own Story

The Perth sun beat down on the red dirt, shimmering off the green grass in waves of heat haze. The crowd was silent for a heartbeat, holding its breath as the bowler began his run-up from the end near the Members' Pavilion. He released the ball; it skidded through the pitch like a bullet, rising sharply to meet the batsman's front pad. The sound of leather on wood echoed across the oval, sharp and final. In that moment, under the vast Western Australian sky, history was being written again.

Reader's Guide

The WACA Ground is located in Perth, Western Australia. It was officially opened in 1893 on a site of old swamp land east of the city. The WACA has a 999-year lease over the land (expiring in 2888). The first match on turf wickets was in February 1894. Notable stands include the Farley Stand (opened 1931), the Inverarity Stand (originally the Test Stand, opened 1970), the Prindiville Stand (1985), and the Lillee-Marsh Stand (1988). The iconic scoreboard was built in 1954. Six light towers were installed in 1986. The ground's capacity was reduced to around 20,000 after 2002 redevelopments, with temporary stands boosting capacity to 24,500. A new video screen was installed in 2013.

Did You Know?

• The WACA's name comes from the Western Australian Cricket Association.
• The first Test match at the WACA was Australia v England in 1970.
• The pitch is known for being one of the quickest and bounciest in the world.
• The floodlights are 70 metres high and cost $600 per hour to run.
• The WACA has a 999-year lease on its land, expiring in 2888.