Spain's Costa Blanca to get a cricket ground, with a Test match in its sights
A new cricket ground is being built on Spain's Costa Blanca, and its backer wants it to become the home of European cricket. Australian entrepreneur Daniel Weston is overseeing construction of the stadium in Playa Flamenca, about a 45-minute drive from Alicante, BBC Sport reports.
The ground will be called Campo Maximo. Weston said he would love to see a Test match played there. A Test is the longest form of the game, with two teams batting twice over up to five days.
The venue is designed with the environment in mind. Its aim is to be one of the world's most eco-friendly cricket grounds. Around 4,600 square metres of solar panels will sit over the car park to power facilities, including the floodlights. Rainwater will be collected, and tanks holding 100,000 cubic metres will sit under the field to store recycled water.
The outfield will be covered in a new type of artificial grass, which is being developed specifically for the site. That is a notable detail for a ground that will have to cope with the Spanish summer heat and with the demands of a busy schedule.
Campo Maximo will start with room for 1,000 spectators. Temporary or semi-permanent stands could add more seats later. The first ball is expected to be bowled in 2028, and the ground is due to be fully operational in 2029.
Weston is also the driving force behind the European Cricket Network. He moved to Munich in 2007 and played T20 internationals for Germany, a short form of the game with 20 overs per side. His ambitions reach beyond the new ground. He told the Stumped podcast that he thinks the Indian Premier League, the franchise T20 tournament in India, will one day tour in the way the American NFL does. He said it could one day play a game in Spain.
None of these plans has a confirmed date beyond the opening timetable. A Test, an IPL fixture and a European home for the sport all depend on what happens once the ground is built. For now, the work is on the ground in Playa Flamenca, and the first ball is still two seasons away.
