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Cardiff, Wales · County Championship
Sophia Gardens County Championship stats: average score and records
Data through 24 September 2026Last updated 24 September 2026
Sophia Gardens has hosted 74 County Championship matches in the data (2014–2026), and the average completed first-innings score is 294.1 from 72 innings. That is 18.7 runs lower than the County Championship average of 312.7 across all grounds in the data. In 41 matches with a winner, chasing came out ahead more often: 15 wins batting first against 26 batting second. Captains who won the toss chose to field 69% of the time, and the toss winner won 66% of decided matches.
Matches
74
2014–2026
Avg 1st innings
294.1
72 completed innings
Avg 2nd innings
300.6
72 innings
Won chasing
63%
26 of 41 results
Toss winner won
66%
27 of 41
Average first-innings score by year
Show as table
| Year | Average first-innings score |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 231.0 |
| 2015 | 340.0 |
| 2016 | 314.5 |
| 2017 | 318.4 |
| 2018 | 205.0 |
| 2019 | 502.5 |
| 2020 | 151.0 |
| 2021 | 198.0 |
| 2022 | 339.1 |
| 2023 | 334.3 |
| 2024 | 281.4 |
| 2025 | 312.2 |
| 2026 | 312.9 |
Years with at least 2 completed first innings. Completed innings only; rain-rule results excluded.
Highest and lowest totals at Sophia Gardens (County Championship)
| Team | Score | Overs | Against | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northamptonshire | 750 | Glamorgan | 2019-04-11 | Drawn | |
| Leicestershire | 586/7 | Glamorgan | 2026-04-24 | Drawn | |
| Glamorgan | 570/8 | Northamptonshire | 2019-04-11 | Drawn | |
| Gloucestershire | 569/7 | Glamorgan | 2023-04-06 | Drawn | |
| Surrey | 563/7 | Glamorgan | 2015-04-19 | Drawn |
| Team | Score | Overs | Against | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glamorgan | 65 | Warwickshire | 2026-09-08 | Lost | |
| Glamorgan | 69 | Warwickshire | 2026-09-08 | Lost | |
| Kent | 74 | Glamorgan | 2021-04-29 | Lost | |
| Glamorgan | 94 | Kent | 2018-05-04 | Lost | |
| Surrey | 105 | Glamorgan | 2026-06-19 | Lost |
Most runs at Sophia Gardens in County Championship matches
| Player | Inns | Runs | Avg | SR | HS | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Cooke | 114 | 3,499 | 38.03 | 54.9 | 133 | 5 | 22 |
| KS Carlson | 91 | 3,392 | 39.44 | 62.8 | 191 | 11 | 16 |
| Colin Ingram | 60 | 2,873 | 52.24 | 58.9 | 257 | 8 | 13 |
| David Lloyd | 69 | 1,932 | 29.72 | 62.5 | 313 | 1 | 9 |
| Sam Northeast | 46 | 1,381 | 36.34 | 53.6 | 166 | 4 | 7 |
| Billy Root | 49 | 1,290 | 29.32 | 52.9 | 126 | 2 | 6 |
| GG Wagg | 38 | 1,118 | 33.88 | 64.1 | 94 | 0 | 9 |
| EJ Byrom | 31 | 1,088 | 38.86 | 51.0 | 176 | 3 | 4 |
| Timm van der Gugten | 65 | 1,028 | 18.69 | 44.4 | 62 | 0 | 7 |
| Jacques Rudolph | 36 | 925 | 27.21 | 43.9 | 103 | 1 | 5 |
Most wickets at Sophia Gardens in County Championship matches
| Player | Inns | Wkts | Avg | Econ | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timm van der Gugten | 82 | 167 | 25.51 | 2.88 | 7/42 |
| Michael Hogan | 71 | 130 | 24.62 | 2.61 | 5/28 |
| JAR Harris | 42 | 75 | 32.64 | 3.63 | 5/73 |
| GG Wagg | 40 | 65 | 33.83 | 3.32 | 5/54 |
| Andrew Salter | 44 | 49 | 35.53 | 2.88 | 7/45 |
| AW Gorvin | 28 | 46 | 24.74 | 3.08 | 5/40 |
| Mason Crane | 25 | 44 | 37.64 | 3.98 | 5/55 |
| CAJ Meschede | 28 | 36 | 37.08 | 3.51 | 3/19 |
| Michael Neser | 16 | 35 | 24.20 | 2.98 | 5/39 |
| David Lloyd | 45 | 35 | 42.20 | 3.85 | 4/11 |
Recent matches at Sophia Gardens
| Date | Teams | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Sep 2026 | Glamorgan 505 Essex 129 & 351/6 | Match drawn |
| 8 Sep 2026 | Glamorgan 69 & 65 Warwickshire 391 | Warwickshire won by an innings and 257 runs |
| 27 Aug 2026 | Hampshire 162 & 300/8d Glamorgan 161 & 21/3 | Match drawn |
| 19 Jun 2026 | Glamorgan 358 & 197/3 Surrey 105 & 447 | Glamorgan won by 7 wickets |
| 8 May 2026 | Somerset 354 & 157 Glamorgan 229 & 285/8 | Glamorgan won by 2 wickets |
| 24 Apr 2026 | Glamorgan 440 & 137/2 Leicestershire 586/7d | Match drawn |
| 3 Apr 2026 | Glamorgan 302 & 218/5d Yorkshire 226 & 239/7 | Match drawn |
| 24 Sep 2025 | Glamorgan 265 & 241 Lancashire 374 & 134/3 | Lancashire won by 7 wickets |
| 22 Jul 2025 | Kent 155/9 & 360 Glamorgan 327 & 189/5 | Glamorgan won by 5 wickets |
| 29 Jun 2025 | Gloucestershire 380 & 255/7 Glamorgan 528 | Match drawn |
Frequently asked questions
What is the average first innings score at Sophia Gardens in County Championship matches?
The average completed first-innings score at Sophia Gardens in County Championship matches is 294.1 runs, from 72 innings between 2014 and 2026. Rain-affected matches decided by a rain rule are not included.
What is the highest total at Sophia Gardens in County Championship matches?
The highest total in the data is 750 by Northamptonshire against Glamorgan on 11 April 2019.
Do teams win more often batting first or chasing at Sophia Gardens in County Championship matches?
In the 41 matches with a result, teams batting first won 15 (37%) and teams batting second won 26 (63%). These are past results, not a prediction.
What is the lowest total at Sophia Gardens in County Championship matches?
The lowest all-out total in the data is 65 by Glamorgan against Warwickshire on 8 September 2026.
Also known as: Cardiff, SWALEC Stadium.
Source: computed by CricketWise from Cricsheet ball-by-ball data (ODC-BY). Averages use completed innings in matches not decided by a rain rule. Definitions: methodology.