Local Hero Greg Blewett Rates Adelaide Oval as England Cricket's Best Hope for Ashes Revival
Greg Blewett has identified Adelaide Oval as England's best chance for revival in the 2025-26 Ashes series. The ground's recent redevelopment created a 53,000-capacity venue featuring a drop-in pitch, while preserving heritage elements like the 1911 scoreboard, Moreton Bay fig trees, and the iconic ivy arches.
The third Test of the Ashes will return to traditional daytime scheduling after the prior matches were played as day-nighters. England last won a daytime Test at Adelaide in 2010, with a previous victory on the ground dating back to 1995. Among locals, there is a mixed sentiment about the shift from day-night to daytime games, with some older members expressing a preference for daytime play.
England faces a slump following a recent pink-ball defeat in Brisbane, but Blewett suggests that the conditions at Adelaide could suit England's style, emphasizing the importance of late-day batting and timing for spin bowlers. The ground's drop-in pitches over the past decade have reduced ball carry; Adelaide is expected to offer less carry, making late-day batting and stump-to-stump tactics crucial.
Travis Head remains a local favourite at Adelaide Oval, having scored three Test centuries there. Blewett notes Head's aggressive left-handed batting style as well-suited to the characteristics of the ground.
