Old Trafford Cricket Ground

The place has a dual identity. It is the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club, but it is also a concert venue and a football ground. The redevelopment that finished in 2013 gave it the hotel and the conference centre known as The Point. That project was part of a long effort to bring the ground back to hosting Test matches after a long gap. The pitch sits east to west, a decision made to avoid the bad light that once plagued the game here. A hover cover is kept ready for the Manchester weather, which can be wet.

The track record is not just about cricket. The attendance record of 76,463 was set for a victory test against Australia in 1945, when the country was still recovering from the war. The ground was bombed during that conflict. It has hosted five Cricket World Cup semi-finals, a run that stretches from 1975 to 2019. The most famous moment, however, belongs to Jim Laker, who took 19 wickets in a single match here in 1956.

The building is clean and modern, but it carries the weight of a long history.