User:Nick mallory/Eden Gardens Temp

Eden Gardens [1] in Calcutta is India's largest and oldest cricket ground. First established in 1864, when the Governor General, Lord Auckland, and his family presented the site to the people of Calcutta for the purpose of "recreation and enjoyment", the ground held its inaugural first class match in the 1917/18 season. The first pavilion at the ground, built of teak, dated back to 1871 while a heavy roller at the ground, nicknamed, "Ganga Ram" is reputed to be two centuries old.The first test played at the venue, in January 1934, pitted MCC against the host country and saw Douglas Jardine's team win with a day to spare. Eden Gardens has hosted more test matches than any other ground in India.

The ground was originally run by the Calcutta Cricket Club, but in 1950 control was passed to the Cricket Association of Bengal.

It is the largest cricket ground in the world, with a capacity of approximately 93,000. It was refurbished for the 1987 World Cup, with new covered stands and a new pavilion, the B.C.Roy Club House, being erected. The first one day international at the ground was India's clash against Pakistan in February of that year. Floodlights were installed in 1993 for the 5 team competition which celebrated the centenary of the Cricket Association of Bengal.

Notable feats in test cricket at the ground include VVS Laxman's 281 against India in 2000/01 which saw India defeat the tourists after being asked to follow on. Harbhajan Singh took a hat trick in the same match. In one day cricket, Anil Kumble took 6 for 12 against the West Indies in the final of the Hero Cup. The ground has also seen controversy , with riots in the late sixties during games against the West Indies and Australia and the premature ending of the 1996 World Cup semi final against Sri Lanka due to crowd trouble.

The ground also boasts an indoor cricket facility and other sporting venues.