Estadio Belgrano Athletic

Estadio Belgrano Athletic, popularly known as Virrey del Pino (as the name of the street where it is located on) is a stadium located in the Belgrano neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is owned and operated by Belgrano Athletic Club, and has a capacity of 500 spectators.[1]

Belgrano Athletic Stadium
Estadio Belgrano Athletic
Virrey del Pino
The stadium in 2023
Map
AddressVirrey del Pino 3456
Buenos Aires
Argentina
Coordinates34°34′25″S 58°27′48″W / 34.5736°S 58.4632°W / -34.5736; -58.4632
OwnerBelgrano A.C.
TypeStadium
Capacity500 [1]
SurfaceGrass
Opened1902; 122 years ago (1902)[2][3]
Tenants

The stadium serves as BAC's home venue for its rugby union[4] and cricket[5] matches. In the past, Virrey del Pino also hosted football matches[6] until 1916 when the club disaffiliated from AFA and abandoned the practise of the sport.[2][7]

Having been acquired by the club in 1902,[2][8] the stadium is one of the oldest sports venues in existence in the city of Buenos Aires.[3]

History edit

Soon after being established, Belgrano A.C. set its headquarters in the land located on Virrey del Pino and Superí streets, which was rented to the heirs of F. Chas.[8] Nevertheless, the club would move after the owner forced it to buy the land. As Belgrano A.C. did not have the funds, they were evicted from it.[2]

Between 1899 and 1902 Belgrano A.C. played their home matches in a field located on La Pampa and Melián streets close to Buenos Aires English High School, until the club acquired a land on Superí street to H. W. Roberts and Charles E. Dickinson (who were also members of the club[8][3] and, in the case of Dickinson, a notable footballer for Belgrano[9] and also the Argentina national team, having been the scorer of the Argentina's first goal ever.[10][11] Roberts and Dickinson had bought the lands years ago and they offered it to the club at the same price of the purchase.[2]

 
The official stand in 1910. It has kept its original style since it was inaugurated in early 1900s

The stadium has a unique roof stand, with capacity for 500 spectators.[1] The original wooden stand had been destroyed by fire, but the club built an exact replica of it, keeping the architectural style of the 1900s.[3]

In early 1900s, the Belgrano A.C. field was venue of some domestic cups finals such as Copa de Competencia Jockey Club (hosted the 1907 and 1908 finals, both won by Alumni, which did not have an own field), and Copa de Honor Municipalidad de Buenos Aires in 1906, when Alumni beat Estudiantes de Buenos Aires 3–1 on 9 September.[12][13]

On 3 May 1908 Boca Juniors played their first official game (in tournaments organised by AFA) at Virrey del Pino stadium. It was the first round of the 1908 Segunda División season, with the visitor defeating Belgrano A.C. II 3–1.[14]

Cricket matches edit

The first recorded cricket match held at BAC's cricket ground came in 1912 when the Northern Suburbs played vs Marylebone Cricket Club, which was touring on South America.[15] First-class cricket was first played there in 1927 when Argentina played the Marylebone Cricket Club. Five further first-class matches were played there, the last of which saw Argentina play Sir TEW Brinckman's XI in 1938.[16] Still in use to the present day, the ground held matches in the South American Championships and the Americas Championships in recent times, as well as hosting matches in the 2009 ICC World Cricket League Division Three.[15] In February–March 2023, the ground played host to three Twenty20 International matches in the 2023 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Americas Qualifier Sub-regional Qualifier.

Records edit

Twenty20 International edit

  • Highest team total: 226 for 4 (20 overs) by Bermuda v Argentina, 2022/23[17]
  • Lowest team total: 110 for 9 (20 overs) by Argentina v Bermuda, as above[18]
  • Highest individual innings: 103 by Kamau Leverock for Bermuda v Argentina, as above[19]
  • Best bowling in an innings: 4-11 by Delray Rawlins, as above[20]

First-class edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Estadio de Belgrano Athletic Club by Adrián Redi
  2. ^ a b c d e 1946. CINCUENTENARIO DEL BELGRANO ATHLETIC CLUB on El Gráfico (originally published in 1946)
  3. ^ a b c d "Belgrano" on Viejos Estadios blogsite
  4. ^ Belgrano Athletic on URBA
  5. ^ Records in Arg: Belgrano Athletic Club Ground, Buenos Aires - info and statistics on ESPNcricinfo.com
  6. ^ Estadios actuales que alguna vez fueron de fútbol on GCBA
  7. ^ Trece décadas (1891-2016). El otro Belgrano campeón by Oscar Barnade on Clarín, 26 Oct 2016
  8. ^ a b c El Club on BAC site
  9. ^ Historia Marrón: la última conquista de Belgrano en fútbol on BAC site
  10. ^ Carlos Edgard Dickinson on Porlapelota.com
  11. ^ Dickinson dejó su sello en la red on Clarín, 24 Feb 2017
  12. ^ Argentina - Copa de Honor "Municipalidad de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires" - 1906 by Osvaldo Gorgazzi on the RSSSF
  13. ^ "Argentina: Copa de Honor 1ra. División Asociación Argentina 1906" by José Carluccio on Historia y Fútbol - 22 Nov 2008
  14. ^ Belgrano Athletic II 1 - Boca Juniors 3 on Historia de Boca
  15. ^ a b "Other matches played on Belgrano Athletic Club Ground, Buenos Aires". CricketArchive. Archived from the original on 31 December 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  16. ^ "First-Class Matches played on Belgrano Athletic Club Ground, Buenos Aires". CricketArchive. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
  17. ^ "Belgrano Athletic Club Ground, Buenos Aires - Highest Team Totals in International Twenty20 matches". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  18. ^ "Argentina v Bermuda, ICC Men's T20 World Cup Americas Region Qualifier 2022/23". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  19. ^ "Belgrano Athletic Club Ground, Buenos Aires - Centuries in International Twenty20 matches". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  20. ^ "Belgrano Athletic Club Ground, Buenos Aires - Four Wickets in an Innings in International Twenty20 matches". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  21. ^ "Argentina v Sir J Cahn's XI, Sir J Cahn's XI in South America 1929/30". CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  22. ^ "Argentina v Marylebone Cricket Club, Marylebone Cricket Club in South America 1926/27". CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  23. ^ "Belgrano Athletic Club Ground, Buenos Aires - Centuries in first-class cricket". CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  24. ^ "Belgrano Athletic Club Ground, Buenos Aires - Seven Wickets in an Innings in first-class cricket". CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  25. ^ "Belgrano Athletic Club Ground, Buenos Aires - Most Wickets in a Match in first-class cricket". CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 March 2023.