Overview
Newlands, Cape Town is South Africa's most multi-format international venue, having hosted 122 matches across Test, ODI, T20 International, SA20, Ram Slam, IPL and CSA T20 cricket between 2002 and 2025. Situated in the Cape Town suburb of Newlands with Table Mountain visible from the ground, it is the home of the Cape Cobras franchise and, in the SA20 era, MI Cape Town. The ground is known for offering seam bowlers genuine assistance in overhead and surface conditions, particularly during morning sessions, whilst also producing some of the highest individual scores ever made in Test cricket.
Across all formats, Newlands averages a first-innings score of 213 and a second-innings score of 189. The chase success rate of 55% places it among grounds where batting second carries a modest structural advantage, though the split between formats means that context matters more here than at many venues.
Pitch and conditions
The surface at Newlands rewards patience and punishes recklessness early. The powerplay average of 29 runs at a cost of 0.94 wickets per innings is among the more restrained returns in international cricket, reflecting how the pitch and Cape Town's famously breezy conditions tend to keep the ball moving for the opening seamers. Sides that attempt to attack from ball one without established movement patterns often pay for it.
Once the ball softens, the middle overs open up considerably. The average of 145 runs scored in that phase accounts for the majority of overall run-making, pointing to a surface where the balance shifts meaningfully towards batters once they are in. The death-overs average of 26 runs per innings is also comparatively modest, suggesting that quality bowling sides retain the ability to apply late pressure rather than simply conceding boundaries at will.
Toss dynamics here are worth understanding. Captains winning the toss have elected to field in 43% of cases, meaning most sides still back themselves to post a total. The 55% chase success rate does favour teams batting second overall, but the margin is not so large that it overrides pitch reading on the day.
Historical records
The batting records at Newlands are shaped almost entirely by Test cricket, where the ground has seen some extraordinary individual efforts. BA Stokes scored 284 off 232 balls for England against South Africa in the Test starting 2 January 2016, the highest individual innings recorded here. DA Warner matched that intensity with 280 off 308 balls for Australia in March 2014, and Jacques Kallis produced 270 off 531 balls against India in 2011, a contrast in tempo that captures the range of approach this ground can accommodate. Ryan Rickelton added 259 off 343 balls for South Africa against Pakistan in January 2025, confirming the venue still generates landmark innings.
In bowling, Kagiso Rabada's 10 for 92 against Sri Lanka across 29 overs in January 2017 stands as the best match return at Newlands. Vernon Philander took 9 for 75 against India in 2018 and 9 for 99 against Pakistan in 2013, both in home Test victories, and his record underlines how this surface has historically suited disciplined, accurate seam bowling from the South African end.
Who plays here
South Africa are the dominant force at Newlands by a considerable margin, winning 39 of their 62 matches at the venue for a win rate of 68%. The Cape Cobras, the provincial franchise associated with the ground, have a 65% win rate from 17 matches. MI Cape Town, the SA20 franchise, have played 20 SA20 matches here and sit at exactly 50%. Sunrisers Eastern Cape have the best away record in the dataset at 71% from 7 matches, whilst England's 38% win rate from 15 visits reflects the challenge visiting sides face when the conditions are loaded in South Africa's favour. Australia (53% from 15) and India (50% from 11) have both performed respectably, though neither has approached the comfort level of the home sides.
