Balls in Birmingham - Cricket and Tennis

June is an exciting month for sports fans in Birmingham with them literally bowled over by two big sporting competitions.  Edgbaston Cricket Ground hosts the ICC Champions Trophy, http://www.edgbaston.com/760/edgbaston-to-stage-2013-icc-champions-trophy-final.html, while Edgbaston Priory Club hosts the AEGON Classic tennis competition, http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/other-sport/aegon-classic-serving-up-three-4211616.

The AEGON Classic marks the 31st anniversary of the competition, originally called the Edgbaston Cup, which saw Billie Jean King win the singles trophy in 1982.

Edgbaston Priory Club has gone through a multi-million pound redevelopment, Edgbaston Priory Club Centres for Spring Opening, and the 2013 Aegon Classic opens the new Centre Court.  2012 saw the opening of the new indoor tennis centre with 2013 welcoming a new clubhouse and the 2,500 seater grass show court.

The pictures below show the Priory Club on 8 June 2013 prior to the start of the Aegon Classic.

Meanwhile half a mile away, The ICC Champions Trophy sees Edgbaston host several of the matches together with final of the seventh and final ICC Champions Trophy before it is replaced by the ICC World Test Championship in 2017.

For Edgbaston it's a great opportunity to show their new redeveloped stadium to a global audience.

With the 2019 World Cup to be staged in England, Edgbaston now has a great chance to showcase its qualities as a host stadium.

“The fact that we have been allocated the ICC Champions Trophy final, taking it out of London for the first time, suggests we are pretty well thought of,” Povey said.

“Now we have to keep doing what we do well while also moving forward.

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/cricket/warwickshire-ccc-colin-povey-says-4033464

The fixtures at Edgbaston include several big matches:

Saturday 8th June: England v Australia

Monday 10th June: Pakistan v South Africa

Wednesday 12th June: Australia v New Zealand

Saturday 15th June: India v Pakistan

Sunday 23rd June: Final


The pictures below show fans on their way to the ground on 8 June 2013.

The new stand offers great views of the ground and city and will provide a valuable opportunity to showcase the city and the great sporting events taking place here to a global audience.

The pictures below were taken, with kind permission of Edgbaston Cricket Ground, in July 2012 looking towards the city with a match in progress.