The newest international cricket stadium in China was launched today at the opening of the 2026 National Cricket Championship in Taicang.
The Shaxi Town Cricket Centre venue features nine pitches, four light towers and outdoor seating for 1,500 spectators as well as an indoor training centre and player accommodation.
The ground is expected to be used for domestic and international fixtures and training, acting as a base of operations for China’s national teams. It will also be available for hosting youth grassroots camps throughout the year.
The project has been integrated with a commercial centre featuring a near 20,000 sq. ft. hotel over five stories.
“Taicang Shaxi Town Cricket Center is the first professional cricket venue in the country that meets international standards.” saig Wang Yu, mayor of Taicang, at Monday’s official opening.
“We look forward to using this event as a link to deepen exchanges and linkages in the national cricket industry, continue to promote the popularization and promotion of cricket, and jointly inject new surging momentum into the development of sports.”
The National Championship will be the first event held at the ground with 17 teams participating across the men’s and women’s tournaments from 17 Aug-30 Sep.
China have been using the Zhejiang University cricket ground in Hangzhou for international fixtures in recent years. The stadium was built for the 2022 Asian Games and hosted the fastest half-century in international cricket when Nepal’s DS Airee hit a 9 ball 50 against Mongolia.
The women’s national team has enjoyed a recent surge of form that saw them qualify for the upcoming Asian Games in Japan where they will face Bangladesh in the opening round.
Currently at 42nd in the WT20I rankings, the team upset 22nd ranked Nepal in the 3rd Place Play-Off of the recent qualifying tournament to seal their spot.
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