Finding Test cricket's favourite fortresses

England's humbling at Trent Bridge this week didn't just level the series 1-1 with South Africa, it saw the end of a decade of domination at the venue for the hosts.

Before taking on South Africa last week, England had not lost a Test at Trent Bridge since Zaheer Khan's nine wickets and Sachin Tendulkar's 91 helped India to a seven-wicket win in 2007.

Manchester's Old Trafford venue is now England's sole home fortress – the hosts' undefeated streak there stretches back to 2002, with eight wins in their 10 Tests at the venue since Pakistan won there in 2001.

England have tasted defeat in 11 of their past 23 Tests since winning the 2015 Ashes at home. More alarmingly for Trevor Bayliss's team, they have lost eight of their past 13 Tests – a figure made worse by a 4-0 series defeat in India last December, arguably Test cricket's most daunting current challenge.

The Old Trafford fortress will be tested next month when the venue hosts the fourth and final Test between England and South Africa.

It's record is a long way behind the longest active win streak in Test cricket however, which belongs to the Australian cricket team and their imposing record at Brisbane's Gabba fortress.

Affectionately referred to by locals as the 'Gabbatoir' for the propensity of opposition teams to be metaphorically slaughtered, Australia have not lost a Test at the venue since being rolled by the great West Indies team in 1988.

Since then, Australia has gone 28 matches undefeated, with the venue to next host the first Ashes Test of this summer from November 23.

Captains Border, Taylor, Waugh, Ponting, Clarke and Smith have all maintained the undefeated run since – the final five of that group having never been defeated at the venue – and the home side has claimed an incredible 21 wins and seven draws in that time.

India have an 18-year undefeated streak running at Chennai's MA Chidambaram stadium, having last lost there in 1999, to Pakistan.

They have played just eight Tests at the venue in the 18 years since, winning five, most recently against England last December.

Australia's streak in Brisbane, while impressive, still lags behind the longest single-venue domination in Test history.

That record belongs to Pakistan and the incredible 34 matches they went undefeated at the National Cricket Stadium in Karachi between 1955 and 2000.

Karachi hosted its first Test match in February 1955, a draw against India, and Pakistan did not lose there until Nasser Hussain's England triumphed in the fifth-day dusk 45 years later.

Image Id: B4B3B8DEDAFC4D12AE1BF833C49570C2 Image Caption: Thorpe and Hussain celebrate England's win at Karachi in 2000 // Getty

Of the 10 longest undefeated streaks at a venue in Test cricket, only one instance is recorded at a location away from home.

That honour belongs to the domination Australia enjoyed at Lord's, the home of cricket, between 1938 and 2005.

From Don Bradman to Ricky Ponting, Australia went 18 matches unbeaten by England at Lord's, winning nine and drawing the other nine.

Longest Test undefeated streaks by venue

National Cricket Stadium, Karachi
Pakistan: 34 matches 1955-2000

The Gabba, Brisbane
Australia: 28 matches 1988-2017*

Kensington Oval, Bridgetown
West Indies: 27 matches 1948-1993

Old Trafford, Manchester
England: 25 matches 1905-1954

Sabina Park, Kingston
West Indies 19 matches 1958-1989

Kennington Oval, London
England: 18 matches 1884-1929

Lord’s, London
Australia: 18 matches 1938-2005

Basin Reserve, Wellington
New Zealand: 18 matches 1969-1993

Queens Park Oval, Port of Spain
West Indies: 17 matches 1978-1998

Edgbaston, Birmingham
England 16 matches, 1902-1974