Nairobi Gymkhana Club is a

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

ground and team in

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...

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. It hosted two matches during the

2003 Cricket World Cup The 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup was the eighth Cricket World Cup, organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It was co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya from 9 February to 23 March 2003. This edition of the World Cup was the f ...

. The ground has a capacity of 7,000 people. It is located north of the central business district, but not far from it. The ground is the main cricket venue in the country and the only one which could in any way be described as a major ground.

Cricket

The ground is home to a cricket team of the same name, which is one of the oldest cricket clubs in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

. Earlier the ground was called Suleman Verjee Indian Gymkhana having been donated by the

Suleman Verjee Suleman (, also transliterated Sulaiman, or ''Sulaymān'') (in Arabic name ) is the Arabic version of the name Solomon, the scriptural figure identified as either king of Israel or a Muslim prophet. The name means "man of peace". Suleman may ref ...

family at a time when no recreational facilities of scale were available to

Indians in Kenya Indians in Kenya, often known as Kenyan Asians, are citizens and residents of Kenya with ancestral roots in the Indian subcontinent. Significant Indian migration to modern-day Kenya began following the creation of the British East Africa Protect ...

. The land was allocated by the

Governor of Kenya This article contains a list of chairmen, administrators, commissioners and governors of British Kenya Colony. The office of Governor of Kenya was replaced by the office of Governor General in 1963 and then later replaced by a President of Kenya ...

to the Indian Association in 1927. The ground is home to one of Kenya's oldest and most influential clubs, the Gymkhana has hosted colonial and other important matches since the early 1900s but it really began to develop as Kenya became a serious force in world cricket in the 1990s. It has become the main cricket ground in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

and hosts International games for the National team. It was at this ground, that

Shahid Afridi Sahibzada Mohammad Shahid Khan Afridi ( ur, شاہد افریدی‎, ps, شاهد افریدی; born 1 March 1977), known as Shahid Afridi, is a Pakistani former cricketer and captain of the Pakistan national cricket team. He is current ...

scored the (then) fastest ODI century in 1997 from just 37 balls. Investment in the ground accelerated with ICC grants which enabled it to host the 2000 ICC Champions Trophy although since then it has suffered from a lack on investment resulting from Kenya's internal problems. The ground itself is a mixture of grass banking and wooden stands, with a modern pavilion on one side and a new media centre, constructed for the 2000 tournament, at one end. As with many such clubs in Kenya, the Gymkhana is home to a variety of other sports as well as providing comfortable accommodation. Situated almost 5,500 feet above sea level, it is one of the highest first-class grounds.

Facilities

The Gymkhana club also has an small inside area with a badminton court and further in, an outdoor area with a swimming pool and a restaurant.

Transportation

Nairobi Gymkhana is situated a 20-minute taxi ride and is about 15 km from the airport. Parking near the ground is limited.

List of Centuries

One Day Internationals

List of five-wicket hauls

One Day Internationals

Twenty20 Internationals

Notes

References

External links

Cricinfo

Asian-Kenyan culture in Nairobi Indian-Kenyan culture Kenyan club cricket teams Cricket grounds in Kenya 2003 Cricket World Cup stadiums Sports venues in Kenya Sport in Nairobi Multi-purpose stadiums in Kenya {{Kenya-sports-venue-stub