The Brisbane Cricket Ground (BCG), affectionately known as The Gabba will once again be the venue for the first wicket, run or (wide) for the 2010 3 Mobile Ashes Series. 
The Gabba is an icon of the Brisbane Landscape. It is located 2km from the City centre and is the home ground for the Brisbane Lions AFL team and the Queensland Bulls cricket team.
Spanning 171 X 150 metres (slightly larger than the MCG) with a capacity of 42,000, the ground itself boasts a state of the art playing surface, which is now completely bordered by grandstands providing first class corporate, media and public facilities.
The ground dates back to 1895 when the land was first designated as a potential cricket site but did not see a Test match until 1931 where The Don scored 226 in the first innings. Incidentally this remains the highest individual score in a Test match in Brisbane.
Some commentators have cited the massive redevelopment programme in 1993 from detracting the general warmth and cricketing feel from the ground. From 1974 until early 1993 there had been very little improvements made to The Gabba. A master plan was commissioned in 1993 over a 15 year period to completely redevelop the ground in six stages. The grassy banks, Moreton Bay figs and dogtrack have been replaced with modern concrete stands which may have removed some of the charm but it has entrenched the Gabba as Brisbane's premier sports stadium.
Brisbane might well be remembered in recent times for a bizarre set of performances and unfortunate mishaps. When Nasser Hussain took his injury hit squad down under in 2002 disaster struck. Fuelled by nerves under the weight of expectation from back home, Nasser decided to put the Aussies in on what can only be described as a belter. 364/2 after the first day and strike bowler Simon Jones succumbing to a sickening injury in the sandpit.
Four years later England set to embark on the defence of their little urn backed on by thousands of loyal supporters on a trip of a lifetime. Despite missing Ashes winning supremeo, Michael Vaughan, England still fancied their chances. The stage was set for a classic on that first morning in Brisbane, what followed can be summed up thus... "Harmison runs in, bowls and straight into the hands of Fred at second slip" Oh.
