{{Short description|Cricket ground in Dublin, Ireland}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}} {{Use Irish English|date=February 2022}} {{Infobox cricket ground | ground_name = Observatory Lane | nickname = | country = Ireland | image = | location = Dublin, Ireland | coord = {{coord|53.3256|-6.2620|display=inline}} | establishment = 1865<ref name="HIST">{{cite web|url=http://inrathmines.ie/index.php/history|title=Rathmines History|publisher=www.inrathmines.ie|access-date=16 July 2018|archive-date=17 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717041550/http://inrathmines.ie/index.php/history|url-status=dead}}</ref> | seating_capacity = | end1 = Rathmines<ref name="CE">{{cite web|url=https://www.cricketeurope.com/CEIRELAND/DATABASE/GROUNDS/RATHMINES/index.shtml|title=Rathmines, Dublin|publisher=CricketEurope|access-date=16 July 2018|archive-date=17 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717012929/https://www.cricketeurope.com/CEIRELAND/DATABASE/GROUNDS/RATHMINES/index.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref> | end2 = Mount Pleasant<ref name="CE"/> | international = true | firstwodidate = 17 August | firstwodiyear = 1990 | firstwodihome = Ireland | firstwodiaway = England | lastwodidate = 17 July | lastwodiyear = 2013 | lastwodihome = Ireland | lastwodiaway = Pakistan | firstwt20idate = 29 May | firstwt20iyear = 2009 | firstwt20ihome = Ireland | firstwt20iaway = Pakistan | lastwt20idate = 6 August | lastwt20iyear = 2009 | lastwt20ihome = Ireland | lastwt20iaway = Netherlands | year1 = 2017–2018 | club1 = Leinster Lightning | date = 3 September | year = 2020 | source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/60/1312.html Ground profile }}
'''Observatory Lane''' is a cricket ground in Rathmines, Dublin, Ireland.
==History== Leinster Cricket Club was founded in 1852, originally playing matches at nearby Grosvenor Square, before moving to Observatory Lane in 1865.<ref name="HIST"/>
First-class cricket was first played at Observatory Lane in 1912 when Ireland played Scotland.<ref name="FCM">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/60/1312_f.html|title=First-Class Matches played on Observatory Lane, Rathmines, Dublin|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=16 July 2018}}</ref> The ground hosted six first-class matches before World War II, including a match between Ireland and the touring New Zealanders in 1937, in which no team passed 100 in any of the four innings.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/16/16419.html|title=Ireland v New Zealanders, 1937|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=16 July 2018}}</ref> Ireland played the Marylebone Cricket Club in 1948, with a 27 year wait before the next first-class match was played at the ground in 1975.<ref name="FCM"/> To date, 13 first-class matches have been played at Observatory Lane, the last in 2012 against Afghanistan in the ICC Intercontinental Cup.<ref name="FCM"/> List A cricket was first played at Observatory Lane in the 2005 ICC Trophy, with the ground hosting two matches.<ref name="LAM">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/60/1312_a.html|title=List A Matches played on Observatory Lane, Rathmines, Dublin|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=16 July 2018}}</ref> A third List A match was played there between Leinster Lightning and Northern Knights in the 2017 Inter-Provincial Cup, with Leinster Lightning due to play a further List A match there in the 2018 Inter-Provincial Cup.<ref name="LAM"/> Women's international cricket was first played at Observatory Lane in 1990, when Ireland women played England women in a Women's One Day International (WODI).<ref name="WODI">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/60/1312_wo.html|title=Women's One-Day International Matches played on Observatory Lane, Rathmines, Dublin|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=16 July 2018}}</ref> To date six WODIs have been played at the ground,<ref name="WODI"/> along with two Women's Twenty20 Internationals in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/60/1312_witt.html|title=Women's Twenty-20 International Matches played on Observatory Lane, Rathmines, Dublin|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=16 July 2018}}</ref>
===Rugby international=== The Ireland rugby union team played their first home match at Observatory Lane in 1875 against England,<ref>{{cite web |title=Irish International Teams: Results, Scorers, Dates and Venues – 1874 to June 1999 |url=http://www.irishrugby.ie/history/css/arch_history_1.htm |access-date=16 July 2018 |publisher=Irishrugby.ie |archive-date=18 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071118215707/http://www.irishrugby.ie/history/css/arch_history_1.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="HIST" /> after Lansdowne Road was deemed unsuitable.<ref>Gerard Siggins (2005), ''Green Days:Cricket in Ireland 1792–2005''. Nonsuch Publishing Ltd., p.37</ref> {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;text-align: center;" |- ! colspan=6| Ireland International Rugby Union Matches |- ! Date ! Home ! Score ! Opponent ! Competition ! Attendance |- | 13 December 1875 || {{ru|IRE}} || 0G–1G || '''{{ru|ENG}}''' || 1875–76 Home Nations || <ref name="IRE ENG 1875">{{cite web |title=ENGLAND TOUR - Dublin, 13 December 1875 |url=http://en.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/match/18907.html |website=espnscrum |access-date=27 May 2021}}</ref><ref name="ENG Rathmines">{{cite web |title=History shines brightest on England against Ireland in Dublin |url=https://tv5.espn.com/rugby/story/_/id/18920601/how-england-faced-ireland-dublin-ahead-their-six-nations-grand-slam-decider-run-all-meetings |website=espnscrum |access-date=14 March 2021}}</ref> |}
==Records== ===First-class=== * '''Highest team total:''' 462 by Ireland v Canada, 2011<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/266/266108.html|title=Ireland v Canada, 2011|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=15 July 2018}}</ref> * '''Lowest team total:''' 30 by Ireland v New Zealanders, 1937<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/60/1312/f_Lowest_Team_Totals.html|title=Observatory Lane, Rathmines, Dublin - Lowest Team Totals in first-class cricket|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=16 July 2018}}</ref> * '''Highest individual innings:''' 144 by Andrew White for Ireland v Netherlands, 2010<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/60/1312/f_Centuries.html|title=Observatory Lane, Rathmines, Dublin - Centuries in first-class cricket|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=16 July 2018}}</ref> * '''Best bowling in an innings:''' 8-80 by Robert Gregory for Ireland v Scotland, 1912<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/60/1312/f_Most_Wickets_in_Innings.html|title=Observatory Lane, Rathmines, Dublin - Seven Wickets in an Innings in first-class cricket|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=16 July 2018}}</ref> * '''Best bowling in a match:''' 10-45 by James Boucher for Ireland v Minor Counties, 1937<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/16/16139.html|title=Ireland v Minor Counties, 1937|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=16 July 2018}}</ref>
===List A=== * '''Highest team total:''' 239/8 by Leinster Lightning v Northern Knights, 2017<ref name="LVN">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/1027/1027112.html|title=Leinster Lightning v Northern Knights, 2018|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=16 July 2018}}</ref> * '''Lowest team total:''' 132 by Northern Knights v Leinster Lightning, as above<ref name="LVN"/> * '''Highest individual innings:''' 126* by Kenneth Kamyuka for Uganda v Papua New Guinea, 2005<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/60/1312/a_Centuries.html|title=Observatory Lane, Rathmines, Dublin - Centuries in List A matches |publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=16 July 2018}}</ref> * '''Best bowling in an innings:''' 5-23 by Andrew Britton for North West Warriors v Leinster Lightning, 2018<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/11083/scorecard/1136924/leinster-lightning-vs-north-west-warriors-6th-match-cricket-ireland-inter-provincial-limited-over-cup-2018|title=Leinster Lightning v North West Warriors, 2018|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=13 September 2018}}</ref>
==See also== *List of Leinster Lightning grounds *List of cricket grounds in Ireland
==Notes and references== {{reflist|group="n"|1}} {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/60/1312.html Observatory Lane, Dublin] at CricketArchive
{{coord|53.3256|-6.2620|type:landmark_region:IRE|display=title}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Observatory Lane}} Category:Cricket grounds in County Dublin Category:Sports venues in Dublin (city) Category:Sports venues completed in 1865 Category:1865 establishments in Ireland Category:Rugby union stadiums in Ireland