Pierre Werner Cricket Ground

The Pierre Werner Cricket Ground, also known as the Walferdange Cricket Ground, is a cricket ground in Walferdange, in central Luxembourg. It is the premier cricket venue in Luxembourg, being the home ground of the country's top club, the Optimists Cricket Club, which plays in the Belgian Cricket League, and of the Luxembourg national team.

Pierre Werner Cricket Ground
Walferdange Cricket Ground
Pierre Werner Cricket Ground in 2024
Locationrue de l'Alzette, Walferdange, Luxembourg[1]
Establishment1991
Capacity1000
OwnerOptimists Cricket Club
OperatorOptimists Cricket Club
TenantsOptimists Cricket Club
Luxembourg national team
End names
Bridge End
Pavilion End
First T20I28 August 2020:
 Luxembourg v  Czech Republic
Last T20I25 June 2023:
 Luxembourg v   Switzerland
As of 25 June 2023
Source: Cricinfo

The ground was opened in 1991.[2] In 2002 the ground was given its present name to commemorate Pierre Werner (1913–2002), formerly Prime Minister of Luxembourg and honorary president of Optimists Cricket Club.[3] The ground was established on land donated by the Walferdange commune, adjacent to the Alzette river.[1]

The ground has hosted matches between the Luxembourg national team and various other teams, including the Belgium national team and the MCC.[4] The heavy use of the ground is illustrated by the programme in 2003, when it "was in use almost every day between mid-April and early October". That year two internationals against France and one against Belgium were played on the ground (though one of the games against France was rained off).[5] A six-a-side tournament was hosted in 2007.

The ground is the only outdoor venue regularly used for cricket in Luxembourg, with the only other venue being Robert Schuman Oval, located 300 m (980 ft) over the French border in Évrange.[6] The ground's pitch is artificial matting on concrete.[6]

The ground hosts a one-week junior training academy each July. In 2010 this was attended by forty boys and girls of all ages, who were coached by a Level 3 coach from the UK and benefited from the ground's "excellent facilities".[7]

In August 2020, the ground was selected to host the 2020 Luxembourg T20I Trophy, a tri-series between Luxembourg, Belgium and the Czech Republic.[8]

List of International Centuries

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Twenty20 Internationals

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This is the list of centuries scored at the ground in Twenty20 Internationals.[9]

No. Score Player Team Balls Inns. Opposing team Date Result
1 125* Shaheryar Butt   Belgium 50 1   Czech Republic 29 August 2020 Won

References

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  1. ^ a b Location - Optimists Cricket Club
  2. ^ ICC European Championship, 2011, Division 2 brochure, p12 Retrieved 7 October 2011
  3. ^ Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 2003 edition, p 1569.
  4. ^ Other matches played on Pierre Werner Cricket Ground, Walferdange - CricketArchive. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
  5. ^ Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 2004 edition, p 1440.
  6. ^ a b Grounds - Luxembourg Cricket Federation
  7. ^ Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 2011 edition, p 1185.
  8. ^ "Luxembourg set to host official international cricket for the first time". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Centuries - Twenty20 Internationals". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 30 August 2020.

49°39′52″N 6°07′39″E / 49.6644°N 6.1276°E / 49.6644; 6.1276