Galle International Stadium Galle, Sri Lanka
Colombo Road, Galle 80000, Sri LankaAlso or formerly known as The Esplanade
Established 1876
Capacity 35,000
Flood Light Yes
End Name City End, Fort End
| First Test | Sri Lanka v New Zealand, 03-07, Jul 1998 |
| Last Test | Sri Lanka v New Zealand, 26-29, Sep 2024 |
| First ODI | Sri Lanka v India, 25-Jun-1998 |
| Last ODI | Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe, 02-Jul-2017 |
Galle International Stadium is a cricket stadium in Galle, Sri Lanka, located near the Galle fort and surrounded on two sides by the Indian Ocean. It is considered to be one of the most picturesque cricket grounds in the world. Before this ground is brought up to international cricket standards, it was known as ‘The Esplanade’, and is the home ground of the Galle Cricket Club.
The ground was built as a racecourse in 1876. When the racing finished and the ground was used for cricket matches more than contests. The ground was officially declared as a cricket stadium in 1927.The first first-class match hosted here was on 29 February 1984.
Later the ground was upgraded to worldwide cricket standards, and turned into the seventh cricket stadium in Sri Lanka able to host Test matches between two international teams. The first test match was played on 3 June 1998 between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, resulting in a win for Sri Lanka. The first ODI match was scheduled to be held on 25 June 1998 between India and Sri Lanka, but was abandoned due to waterlogged from overnight rain and heavy raining in the morning.
