Observatory Lane

Observatory Lane is a cricket ground in Rathmines, Dublin, Ireland.

Observatory Lane

Ground information
Location	Dublin, Ireland
Coordinates	53.3256°N 6.2620°W / 53.3256; -6.2620
Establishment	1865[1]
End names
Rathmines[2] Mount Pleasant[2]
International information
First WODI	17 August 1990:  Ireland v  England
Last WODI	17 July 2013:  Ireland v  Pakistan
First WT20I	29 May 2009:  Ireland v  Pakistan
Last WT20I	6 August 2009:  Ireland v  Netherlands
Team information
Leinster Lightning (2017–2018)
As of 3 September 2020 Source: Ground profile

History

Leinster Cricket Club was founded in 1852, originally playing matches at nearby Grosvenor Square, before moving to Observatory Lane in 1865.^[1]

First-class cricket was first played at Observatory Lane in 1912 when Ireland played Scotland.^[3] The ground hosted six first-class matches before World War II, including a match between Ireland and the touring New Zealanders in 1937, in which no team passed 100 in any of the four innings.^[4] Ireland played the Marylebone Cricket Club in 1948, with a 27 year wait before the next first-class match was played at the ground in 1975.^[3] To date, 13 first-class matches have been played at Observatory Lane, the last in 2012 against Afghanistan in the ICC Intercontinental Cup.^[3] List A cricket was first played at Observatory Lane in the 2005 ICC Trophy, with the ground hosting two matches.^[5] A third List A match was played there between Leinster Lightning and Northern Knights in the 2017 Inter-Provincial Cup, with Leinster Lightning due to play a further List A match there in the 2018 Inter-Provincial Cup.^[5] Women's international cricket was first played at Observatory Lane in 1990, when Ireland women played England women in a Women's One Day International (WODI).^[6] To date six WODIs have been played at the ground,^[6] along with two Women's Twenty20 Internationals in 2009.^[7]

Rugby international

The Ireland rugby union team played their first home match at Observatory Lane in 1875 against England,^[8][1] after Lansdowne Road was deemed unsuitable.^[9]

Ireland International Rugby Union Matches
Date	Home	Score	Opponent	Competition	Attendance
13 December 1875	Ireland	0G–1G	England	1875–76 Home Nations	[10][11]

Records

First-class

• Highest team total: 462 by Ireland v Canada, 2011^[12]
• Lowest team total: 30 by Ireland v New Zealanders, 1937^[13]
• Highest individual innings: 144 by Andrew White for Ireland v Netherlands, 2010^[14]
• Best bowling in an innings: 8-80 by Robert Gregory for Ireland v Scotland, 1912^[15]
• Best bowling in a match: 10-45 by James Boucher for Ireland v Minor Counties, 1937^[16]

List A

• Highest team total: 239/8 by Leinster Lightning v Northern Knights, 2017^[17]
• Lowest team total: 132 by Northern Knights v Leinster Lightning, as above^[17]
• Highest individual innings: 126* by Kenneth Kamyuka for Uganda v Papua New Guinea, 2005^[18]
• Best bowling in an innings: 5-23 by Andrew Britton for North West Warriors v Leinster Lightning, 2018^[19]

See also

• List of Leinster Lightning grounds
• List of cricket grounds in Ireland