Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, USA pitch report for matches at T20 Cricket World Cup venue — How will it play? | Sporting News Canada

The Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York has been the center of attention for all the wrong reasons in recent days.

The $30 million pitch was constructed in a span of eight months with special soil transported from the Adelaide Oval stadium in Australia for the tournament. Despite the efforts, the pitch has failed to live up to the standards and has been under fire from the critics for its inconsistent bounce and a very slow outfield. 

Many experienced players and coaches have been critical about the playing conditions of the pitch. The ICC in recent days though has revealed that they have been trying hard to fix the problem. The uneven bounce on the pitch was being caused due the grassy veins, which has been pushed down by rolling the wicket.

The venue will be under the spotlight again when USA take on India at the stadium on June 12th, with qualification for the Super 8 stage of the tournament a possibility.  

Here, we look at the pitch and how it might play.

How many T20I games has Nassau County Stadium hosted?

The Nassau County International Stadium has hosted 7 T20I games so far, with all of those being the 2024 T20 World Cup matches.

How many spectators can the Nassau County stadium hold?

The Nassau County stadium has a seating capacity of about 34,000 spectators. The stadium saw a full house in the match between India and Pakistan.

What are the dimensions of the Nassau County stadium?

The Nassau County stadium is a sizeable venue with a total area of approximately 361,850 square feet. The boundary lengths can vary between 65 and 70 meters, adhering to ICC guidelines with the shortest boundary being 60 meters and the longest 82 meters. The stadium, however, does not have floodlights, so all World Cup matches will be played during daylight.

Nassau County stadium: Pitch Report

The pitch at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium has been a pitch with very uneven bounce, any pace bowler hitting the surface hard could benefit from the outcome, causing problems for the opposition batter.

To make matters worse for the batting team, the outfield at the venue is very slow and sluggish. The ball suffers great difficulty in reaching the boundary line, which in turn creates problems for batters to score runs consistently.

Average score at the Nassau County Stadium 

The average first innings score at the venue in the 7 games played so far is 107 runs. The below par score implies that the team bowling first will have an advantage over the team that will bowl in the second innings.

What happened in the previous T20I at Nassau County Stadium?

In the recent T20 world cup match, Pakistan played against Canada in New York. Pakistan’s bowlers did well, limiting Canada to 106/7. Haris Rauf and Mohammad Amir took 2 wickets each. Pakistan chased the target in 17.3 overs, winning by 7 wickets. This was Pakistan’s first win after losing to the USA and India.

What is the highest score by a team at Nassau County Stadium in T20Is?

The highest score at the stadium has been 137, posted by Canada against Ireland. And that score proved to be enough for the minnows to win the game.

What is the lowest score by a team at Nassau County Stadium in T20Is?

The lowest score at the stadium has been 77, posted by Sri Lanka against South Africa. The score wasn’t enough for the Lankans to defend, South Africa chased it in 17 overs.

What is the highest individual score at Nassau County Stadium in T20Is?

The highest individual score at the stadium is 59*, scored by David Miller against Netherlands. While chasing 104, South Africa were 4 down for just 12 runs. Miller batted sensibly under high pressure and took the Proteas home with his unbeaten knock.

What is the best bowling figure at Nassau County Stadium in T20Is?

The record for the best bowling figure is held by South Africa’s Anrich Nortje, with an impressive figure of 4/7 in 4 overs against Sri Lanka, who were bowled out for just 77 runs in the match.

Which batter has the most runs at Nassau County Stadium in T20Is?

South Africa’s David Miller holds the record for most runs scored at this venue. He has scored 94 runs in his 3 innings, with an impressive batting average of 94 and a strike rate of 98.94.

Which bowler has the most wickets at Nassau County Stadium in T20Is?

South Africa’s Anrich Nortje hold the record for most wickets taken at this venue. He has taken 8 wickets in 3 matches with an impressive bowling economy of 3.58.

MORE: Team USA schedule at the T20 Cricket World Cup 

Upcoming T20 World Cup matches at the Nassau County stadium

The stadium will host one more match at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.