Geelong Cricket Stadium T20 records: Simonds Stadium T20I records and highest innings total

Geelong Cricket Stadium T20 records: Geelong will be hosting ICC T20 World Cup 2022 tournament opener tomorrow.

Only a night’s sleep is left for the commencement of ICC T20 World Cup 2022. The eighth edition of the T20 World Cup will begin with the first match between Sri Lanka and Namibia to be played in Geelong in several hours from now.

In what is going to be only the second international match between Sri Lanka and Namibia, it will also be the second international match at the Simonds Stadium. In fact, the stadium will be welcoming back international cricket after more than half-a-decade.

The inaugural T20I here was played between Australia and Sri Lanka resulting in a nail-biting 2-wicket victory for the visitors. Barring wicket-keeper batter Kusal Mendis, no other current Sri Lankan player was part of their Playing XI back in the day.

ALSO READ: Sri Lanka vs Namibia T20 Head to Head record

Namibia, on the other hand, will be playing their first-ever cricket match in Australia on Sunday.

Geelong Cricket Stadium T20 records

Considering how only a solitary international match has been played at this stadium, it should be understandable that there are a limited number of records with respect to the GMHBA Stadium.

Batters Asela Gunaratne (84), Moises Henriques (56), Michael Klinger (43) and Chamara Kapugedara (32) had emerged as the best batters in the inaugural T20I here. Nuwan Kulasekara (4), Andrew Tye (3), Lasith Malinga (2), James Faulkner (2) and Vikum Sanjaya (2) had picked more than one wicket at this stadium then.

Having hosted three Big Bash League 2021-22 matches earlier this year, Geelong has been venue to a total of nine Men’s T20s till date. That being said, no player taking part in the first round of this tournament (barring the above mentioned) has played here in the past.

Highest T20I innings total at Simonds Stadium

Chasing a 174-run target against the home team, Sri Lanka had scored 176/8 in 20 overs which continues to remain the highest T20I innings total, highest successful T20I run-chase and third-highest T20 innings total at the Simonds Stadium.

BBL franchise Perth Scorchers has the two highest T20 innings total at this venue. While no team has ever crossed the 200-run mark here in the shortest format, Scorchers had scored 196/3 and 178/4 against Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades respectively.

Perth scoring 178/4 in 19 overs also remains the highest successful run-chase in Geelong T20s.