The Gabba

Brisbane's the Gabba is one of Australia's most famous cricket grounds, known for its noisy atmosphere that makes it very hard for opposition players to concentrate fully on the game.

Officially called the Brisbane Cricket Ground but known to all as the Gabba, this cricket stadium has been hosting cricket matches since December 1896, though it has changed a lot since then.

The Gabba has also been home to greyhound racing meetings and the Brisbane Lions of the Australian Football League play their matches at the Woolloongabba-based stadium as well.

The 2020 AFL Grand Final was also played at the Gabba, which was a historic first for the venue. The Gabba's first Test match was played in 1931 and it hosts them regularly to this day. The Gabba is particularly notable for being the first Australian venue to host an international Twenty20 cricket match, while the Brisbane Heat play their BBL matches at the stadium now.

With the Olympics set to be held in Brisbane in 2032, the Gabba had been touted for a major redevelopment, but the plans for the stadium have since been scaled back somewhat instead. Regardless, the Gabba is one of the most famous cricket grounds in the world - it is a must-visit.

The Gabba Pitch Report

The Gabba is known for its fast and bouncy pitch, so it is a favourite cricket stadium for the world's quickest bowlers. They relish the chance to hit the deck hard with bounce guaranteed. Although there is definitely help for bowlers, the Gabba has a true and reliable bounce. As such, it is also regarded as a good place to bat, especially once the new ball starts to lose its shine.

The Gabba Brisbane pitch report indicates that older balls can swing a lot here, while historic data from cricmetric.com shows that the average first innings score in T20 matches here tends to be high. During 2023, the average T20 first innings score at the Gabba was just over 185, which makes it one of the highest scoring grounds in world cricket. That average fell to under 140 in 2020.

There is a significant advantage for the team batting first in a T20 match at the Gabba, which is unusual. Data shows that 52% of matches at the Brisbane ground are won by the team setting a target, while the chasing team wins just 44% of the time here. Medium paces have the lowest average, while fast bowlers tend to go for the most runs per over in T20 games at the Gabba. Mark Steketee has taken more wickets than any other bowler in Gabba T20 matches to date.

No Gabba pitch report would be complete without a mention for the Brisbane cricket fans, who are among the loudest in the world and help to create an extremely intimidating atmosphere.

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