When play gets under way in Cardiff tomorrow, the SWALEC Stadium will become the 100th ground to stage Test cricket, the ninth in Britain - and the first in Wales.

The most recent British addition to the list was the Riverside Stadium in Chester-le-Street, Co Durham, which hosted its first Test - England versus Zimbabwe - in 2003 and has staged three more. The Riverside was the 87th ground to be given Test status, more than a century after Bramall Lane in Sheffield became the seventh Test ground in England.

It was a surprise when that ground was chosen to stage the third Test of the 1902 Ashes series given that the vibrant local industry was pumping the air full of soot and the ground was shared with Sheffield United FC. Australia won by 143 runs and a poor attendance meant that Bramall Lane's time as a Test venue was restricted to one match.

English grounds form seven of the oldest 13 Test venues. Edgbaston also staged its first Test in 1902; Trent Bridge and Headingley have been Test grounds since 1899, Lord's and Old Trafford since 1884 and the Oval since 1880.

The 99th Test venue was the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, India, which had its first Test last year.

It is hard to say which ground will become the 101st Test cricket venue as Pakistan may play some “home” Tests this year in the United Arab Emirates, but the Rose Bowl in Southampton will become the tenth Test ground in Britain when England play Sri Lanka in 2011.