Cricket is a staple of the Australian summer and one of the best venues to catch the action is the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Home to the New Year’s Test Match, also referred to as the Pink Test, each year, the Sydney Cricket Ground is a must-attend venue for any Australian cricket fan.
Also known as the SCG, the venue has been hosting cricket matches since 1851, but you don’t need to wait for the annual international test match to enjoy this historic venue. Over the summer, it also hosts a handful of other international match-ups in both the one-day and Twenty20 versions of the game.
The local state squad, the NSW Blues and the Sydney Sixers, in the Big Bash League also host the majority of their home games at the SCG, while in the winter, it’s the home venue of the Sydney Swan’s AFL squad.
Fun Fact: Did you know that the SCG has also hosted a Major League Baseball match? It’s true, I was there, in 2014 the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers hosted a two-game pre-season matchup at the venue.
Where is the Sydney Cricket Ground?
The Sydney Cricket Ground sits alongside Sydney Football Stadium (Allianz Stadium) in the Moore Park entertainment complex, also known as The Entertainment Quarter, located just to the southeast of Sydney’s CBD, near Paddington.
Where To Stay When Going To The Sydney Cricket Ground
If you are planning on staying as close as possible to the SCG, unfortunately, there isn’t much in the way of accommodation within Moore Park. The closest options are Surry Hills and Bondi Junction, but both are still within walking distance of the SCG.
In Surry Hills, I would suggest either Crown Hotel Surry Hills or Meriton Suites Waterloo. While in Bondi Junction, I would recommend Meriton Suites Bondi Junction or Holiday Inn & Suites Sydney Bondi Junction.
That said, given the venue’s proximity to the city, staying within the Sydney CBD is a very good alternative. Bondi Beach is also a good option.
Getting To And From The Sydney Cricket Ground
With the completion of the Light Rail, it’s easier than ever to get to the Sydney Cricket Ground from the centre of the city.
The L2 and L3 lines of the Light Rail service connect Circular Quay with Randwick and Kingsford via both Sydney’s Central Station and Moore Park, making public transport the best option for getting to and from the venue.
What’s even better is that public transport is included with your valid ticket to most events held at the SCG.
That said, immediately after games, the queue to wait for the trams can be quite extensive, and you might be better off walking back to Central Station. It’ll only take you about 30 minutes.
You can find out more about the public transport options to and from the SCG via the Transport NSW website.
Alternatively, if you feel you need to drive, the main access to the SCG is via Lang Road off Anzac Parade. There are two car parks available during major sporting events at the SCG. A permanent Wilson Security multi-story parking and a paddock that they open up to use as a car park. Both tend to book out extremely quickly, so I’d recommend reserving your spot well in advance.
If you are planning on driving, just be mindful that there is only one road in and out of the Moore Park complex, and it does get quite a lot of traffic during big events. I’d highly recommend getting there a couple of hours early and plan on staying a few hours after the game to allow traffic to ease.
Food Options At The Sydney Cricket Ground
Every stand at the Sydney Cricket Ground offers a couple of food and bar options for patrons to take advantage of.
You can certainly get all the usual staples of an Australian sporting venue, including burgers, hot chips, hot dogs, beer and soft drinks.
That said, keep an eye out for the handful of specialty vendors around the venue if you are looking for something a little different, including Asian-style street food, pizza (very, very small pizza), and the iconic meat pie or sausage roll.
With all of that in mind, the food is quite expensive. If you are attending a shorter match, particularly a Twenty20 match, you might be better off eating before or after at one of the several restaurants in the Entertainment Precinct around the outside of the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Things To Do Near The Sydney Cricket Ground
Moore Park was the original home of the Sydney Royal Show. While the Royal Show (or the Easter Show as it’s known now) has moved out to Homebush’s Olympic Park, the old Moore Park showgrounds have been redeveloped into an Entertainment Precinct.
That redevelopment means that there is a whole bunch of bars and restaurants, a cinema, a comedy club, and a bowling alley, just to name a few. If you are in no particular rush to get home after the cricket or you’ve got to the SCG exceptionally early, you’ll find plenty to do to fill in a couple of extra hours in the precinct.
Tips For Attending The Cricket At The Sydney Cricket Ground
This one might be obvious for cricket fans, but for anyone else, make sure you keep an eye on the ball.
Part of the appeal of cricket, especially the shorter forms of the game is the big hits, and some of those big hits clear the fences (for six runs). So, firstly you don’t want to get hit by the ball, but secondly, crowd catches are also a significant part of cricket and you don’t want to get knocked over by an ambitious fellow fan diving for the ball.
If you do happen to catch the ball, make sure you throw it back to the nearest fielder; unlike baseball, you don’t get to keep the ball if it clears the fence.
Otherwise, there are some good facilities within the SCG, particularly the newer grandstands. Despite being a historic venue, the newest sections are actually quite modern, with plenty of bars and food vendors to enjoy whilst you watch the action. Most of which you can still see the ground while getting something to eat or drink.
Also, as I briefly mentioned in the “Getting To and From the SCG” section, but traffic in and around the SCG does take some time to clear. Take some time out to grab a late dinner or relax in the Entertainment Precinct before trying to leave the complex. Otherwise, you’ll just be stuck in traffic trying to get back on the main road for quite some time.
For more travel tips for different sports and events around the world, make sure you check out the rest of my blog posts as well.
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