Stadium set for Test Match action following £44m redevelopment

The new £44m redevelopment of Emerald Headingley Stadium in Leeds will host its first major international cricket match later this week.

The famous Test venue will be the setting for a One Day International between England and Pakistan on Sunday, giving cricket fans the chance to enjoy its new facilities.

As well as being an international cricket venue, Emerald Headingley is home to Leeds Rhinos rugby league club and Yorkshire County Cricket Club. It also hosts Yorkshire Carnegie rugby union games.

The new North Stand at the iconic ground is also being officially opened tonight as Headingley hosts the Leeds Rhinos v Castleford Tigers Super League clash.

The one day international on Sunday marks the start of a summer of top class cricket for the ground, which will host an Ashes Test in August as well as four matches during the ICC Cricket World Cup.

Sructural engineering specialist TRP Consulting has worked with the Emerald Headingley design and construction teams to create the two new stands at the historic sporting venue.

Manchester-headquartered TRP Consulting completed its work on the Headingley project earlier this month. It was appointed to the development last year by Caddick Group.

The new stands were designed by DLA Architects and construction work was carried out by Caddick Construction.

The major redevelopment has seen the creation of a new rugby South Stand and a replacement for the 90-year-old joint rugby and cricket ground stand that overlooks both sides of the iconic sporting complex.

The new combined stand has 4,200 seats for cricket and 3,800 facing the rugby pitch. The new South Stand for the rugby ground has a capacity of 7,700 with 2,200 seats.

Perhaps best-known for the Ian Botham-led Ashes Test win in 1981, the Headingley ground has staged international cricket since 1899.

TRP Consulting director Geoff Wilks said: “The redeveloped Emerald Headingley is something really special, it is a fantastic setting for top class sport.

“The famous old ground has been transformed into a truly world-class venue and we’re delighted to have played our part in the development and construction process.

“We’ve worked closely with the architects, designers, construction teams and project managers to help deliver this great new chapter for Emerald Headingley.”

TRP has helped successfully deliver sporting projects across the UK, including the regeneration of Doncaster Racecourse, the revamp of Preston North End’s historic Deepdale football ground and the creation of Arsenal FC’s training facilities.

It is currently working on two major training ground developments for Leicester City and Huddersfield Town football clubs.

It is helping to create Europe’s most advanced football training ground after being appointed to the team delivering the masterplan for Premier League Leicester.

And its engineers are working to deliver multi-million-pound expansion and development plans for Huddersfield’s first team training facilities.

It has also carried out work at Manchester United’s Old Trafford home, as well as on ground developments at Peterborough United and Oldham Athletic.

In the horseracing industry it was part of the project team behind the new main stand at Doncaster racecourse.