Cape Town · South Africa · 2002–2025
Newlands, Cape Town: Pitch Conditions, Records and Match Stats
At a glance
Matches
136
All formats
Par score
208
1st-innings average
Chase success
52%
Balanced
Bat-first win
46%
Long-sample record
Pitch & conditions
The patterns we see repeat across the matches on record — what works at Newlands, and what captains should plan for.
Teams batting second at Newlands have won 55% of completed matches across all formats in the dataset. The first-innings average of 213 against a second-innings average of 189 suggests chasing is a live option, though the gap is modest enough that conditions on the day matter considerably. Captains winning the toss have actually chosen to bat in 57% of cases.
The average powerplay produces 29 runs at a cost of fewer than one wicket (0.94 per innings). That relatively conservative return reflects how the Newlands surface tends to assist seam movement early, rewarding disciplined opening bowling and making ultra-aggressive starts a gamble rather than the default.
With an average of 145 runs scored in the middle phase, the bulk of run-making at this ground happens between the powerplay and the death. That distribution points to a surface where batting becomes progressively easier as the ball ages, giving established batters a significant advantage.
South Africa have played 62 matches at Newlands in this dataset and won 39 of them, a win rate of 68%. No other side comes close to that dominance at the venue. The Cape Cobras, the domestic franchise associated with the ground, also carry a 65% win rate from 17 matches.
The highest team total of 651 and the lowest completed total of 54 were both set in Test matches, reflecting the range the Newlands surface can offer across five days. Seam-friendly morning conditions can sit alongside flat afternoon batting, making multi-day cricket here genuinely unpredictable across sessions.
By the numbers
Career aggregates from the matches LuckySpire tracks at Newlands. Drawn from Cricsheet ball-by-ball data under ODC-BY licence.
Avg 1st inn
208
T20-era par
Avg 2nd inn
184
Chasing average
Chase success
52%
All formats
Highest total
651
On record
Lowest total
54
Complete innings
Phase-by-phase · scoring trajectory
Cumulative scoring trajectory across a typical white-ball innings at Newlands. Phase bands show Powerplay (overs 1–6), Middle (7–15) and Death (16–20) — the death-overs acceleration is where the ground's character shows up most sharply.
Powerplay
36RPO · OVERS 1–6
Middle
131RPO · OVERS 7–15
Death
42RPO · OVERS 16–20
Who plays here
Match counts and win records for the teams with the deepest history at this ground.
| Team | Matches | Won | Lost | NR | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa Cricket | 62 | 39 | 18 | 4 | 63% |
| Mi Cape Town | 20 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 50% |
| Cape Cobras | 17 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 65% |
| Australia Cricket | 15 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 53% |
| England Cricket | 15 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 33% |
| Pakistan Cricket | 14 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 36% |
| Cape Town Blitz | 11 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 45% |
| India Cricket | 11 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 45% |
Similar grounds
High-scoring road · 164 matches
High-scoring road · slight chase bias · 155 matches
Batting-friendly · defending advantage · 153 matches
Bowler-friendly · slight chase bias · 136 matches
Balanced surface · 136 matches