Adelaide Oval - Oval Layout

Oval Layout

The oval dimensions are 190m x 125m, which is both unusually long and unusually narrow for an Australian cricket ground. The arrangement is highly favourable for batsmen who play square of the wicket, and heavily penalises bowlers who deliver the ball wide so that the batsman can exploit the short boundaries square of the wicket. Before the far ends in front of and behind the wicket were roped off, making the playing area shorter, it was not uncommon for batsmen to hit an all-run five. The pitch itself is generally very good for batting, and offers little assistance to bowlers until the last day of a match.

The playing area is surrounded by a white picket fence and advertising billboards.
The Hill was created in 1898 with earth from the banks of the River Torrens.
The scoreboard was first used in 1911 and still shows its original Edwardian architecture.
There were three western stands from around the start of the 20th century, all of which were demolished in 2009:
- George Giffen stand (1882)
- Sir Edwin Smith stand (1922)
- Mostyn Evan stand (1920s)
Two grandstands, named the Chappell Stands, after the South Australian cricketing brothers Ian Chappell, Greg Chappell and Trevor Chappell were completed in 2003.
The Sir Donald Bradman stand was built in 1990 to replace the John Creswell stand and now provides up to date facilities for spectators. This stand was demolished in April 2012.
The scoreboard is listed on the City of Adelaide Heritage Register, helping to maintain the charm of the ground.
All stands built at the ground prior to the redevelopment will be demolished to make way for the new stands. The George Giffen Stand has already been demolished and been replaced by the new western grandstands (see below).