Bay Oval

Posted: Wednesday, 28 September 2016

BAY OVAL TO CELEBRATE 80TH NZC MAJOR ASSOCIATION AND ICC INTERNATIONAL GAME IN THE 2016/17 SEASON

The Bay Oval will celebrate a significant milestone during the 2016/17 cricket season, with the eightieth (80th) NZ Cricket Major Association and ICC International match, being played at the Mount Maunganui ground.

Bay of Plenty Cricket had long held a desire to develop Blake Park into a purpose-built first class cricket ground. While in the past Blake Park had hosted major association one-day matches it was a case of making the best use of the facilities that were available.

Until dropped by New Zealand Cricket because of the supposed sub-standard pitches at Blake Park, the popular holiday venue used to attract some of the largest one-day crowds each season. The Mount Maunganui matches, which were played when huge crowds flocked to the popular holiday destination, became a festive cricket occasions with thousands pitching sun umbrellas around the extremities of the boundaries.

The Blake Park redevelopment was to have a “village green” atmosphere where up to ten thousand spectators would again be able to witness the frenetic action of one-day cricket action. Initial planning was to develop three ovals and a state of the art cricket pavilion.

After a several years of planning and protracted negotiations the redevelopment of Blake Park commenced. After securing the final confirmation of approval from the Tauranga City Council, the first day of March 2005, welcomed the start of earthworks at the Mount Maunganui venue.

While inclement weather, and a motor vehicle assault on the outfield delayed the use, the first match was played in early March 2007. A Western Bay of Plenty B grade encounter saw Mount Maunganui defeat Te Puke.

The first centuries on the new Oval came quickly. On Wednesday the 21st March 2007 Kirby Samkin smashed a remarkable 151 not out as Tauranga Girls College easily defeated Rotorua Girls High School. Four days later it was the turn of Kane Williamson playing for the Bay of Plenty Under 19, who was in majestic form as he reached 131, before being dismissed by a Waikato Valley bowler.

Northern Districts showed their confidence in the new ground, by making the new Oval at Blake Park; their home ground for the State Northern Spirit. A Twenty/20 encounter on the 7th December 2007, between Northern Spirit and the Canterbury Magicians, welcomed the return of NZ Cricket Major Association games to Mount Maunganui.

One of the requirements to have international cricket at the Bay Oval, was a second field with the same wicket blocks as the Bay Oval. During 2012 a second field was established on the top level of Blake Park. On the 1st December 2013, the first representative game took place when the Bay of Plenty Development team played ND Under 19.

On the 28th February 2014, the Bay Oval received temporary ICC ODI status when Canada and The Netherlands played off for seventh place in the CWCQ14. The awarding of the temporary ODI status was brought about as both countries held ICC ODI rankings. (Canada 210 lost to The Netherlands 212/2)

The first Women’s International took place at the Bay Oval during March 2014, when the New Zealand White Ferns squared off with the West Indies in two T20 international contests.

On the 21 October 2014, history was made at the Bay Oval when the Black Caps played South Africa in a One Day International, with the two sides backing up three days later. While the South African visitors prevailed in both encounters, crowds in their thousands flocked to the Bay Oval in the two weekday matches.

The NZ Cricket use of the Bay Oval continued on full throttle in the 2015/16 season, with two Black Cap encounters with Sri Lanka and the White Ferns three game ODI series against World Number One, Australia.

Bay Oval Matches
ICC International One -Day Matches
28 January 2014 Canada v Netherlands (WCQ - playoff for 7th/8th place)
21 October 2014 New Zealand v South Africa
24 October 2014 New Zealand v South Africa
5 January 2016 New Zealand v Sri Lanka

ICC International Twenty-20 Matches
7 January 2016 New Zealand v Sri Lanka

ICC CWCQ 2014
10 January 2014 Uganda v UAE (warm-up)
11 January 2014 Netherlands v UAE (warm-up)
13 January 2014 Netherlands v Uganda
17 January 2014 Kenya v Namibia
21 January 2014 Namibia v Uganda
26 January 2014 Nepal v Netherlands

NZ Cricket First Class Matches
1-4 April 2016. ND v Canterbury
23-26 October 2016 ND v Auckland

NZ Cricket Major Association One-Day Matches
4 December 2011 ND v Canterbury
7 December 2011 ND x Auckland
10 March 2013 ND v Canterbury
13 March 2013 ND v Otago
5 April 2014 ND v Wellington (Ford Trophy Final)
1 January 2015 ND v Wellington
4 January 2015 ND v Otago
21 January 2015 ND v Auckland
20 January 2016 ND v Canterbury

NZ Cricket Twenty-20 Matches
20 February 2009 ND v Otago
22 February 2009 ND v Wellington
2 January 2010 ND v Auckland
3 January 2010 ND v Otago
15 January 2010 ND v Wellington
19 December 2010 ND v Otago
27 December 2010 ND v Auckland
31 December 2011 ND v Canterbury
4 January 2012 ND v Wellington
5 January 2012 ND v Central Districts
8 January 2012 ND v Auckland
1 January 2013 ND v Wellington
6 January 2013 ND v Auckland
2 January 2014 ND v Canterbury
4 January 2014 ND v Wellington
6 December 2015 ND v Otago

Women's International One-Day Matches
8 March 2014 New Zealand Women v West Indies Women
11 February 2015 New Zealand Women v England Women
13 February 2015 New Zealand Women v England Women
15 February 2015 New Zealand Women v England Women
20 February 2016 New Zealand Women v Australia Women
22 February 2016 New Zealand Women v Australia Women
24 February 2016 New Zealand Women v Australia Women

Other Matches Played at the Bay Oval
NZ Cricket Women's Domestic League
8 December 2007 ND v Canterbury
9 December 2007 ND v Canterbury
4 January 2008 ND v Otago
5 January 2008 ND v Otago
6 December 2008 ND v Wellington
7 December 2008 ND v Wellington
20 December 2008 ND v Central Districts
21 December 2008 ND v Central Districts
3 December 2011 ND v Central Districts
1 December 2012 ND v Wellington
2 December 2012 ND v Wellington

NZ Cricket Women's Twenty 20
7 December 2007 ND v Canterbury
3 January 2008 ND v Otago
5 December 2008 ND v Wellington
19 December 2008 ND v Central Districts
30 November 2012 ND. Wellington

2 October 2014 Afghanistan v Auckland
4 October 2014 Afghanistan v Auckland
6 October 2014 Northern Districts v Auckland
7 October 2014 Afghanistan v Northern Districts
9 October 2014 Afghanistan v Northern Districts

7 February 2015 England Women v Northern Districts

Bay Oval Two Matches
ICC CWCQ 2014
10 January 2014 Canada v Netherlands (warm-up)
11 January 2014 Canada v Uganda (warm-up)
15 January 2014 Namibia v Netherlands
19 January 2014 Kenya v Uganda
23 January 2014 Namibia v Papua New Guinea
26 January 2014 Canada v Uganda
28 January 2014 Nepal v Uganda

9 March 2014 New Zealand Women v West Indies

Bay Oval Centuries
171no RJ Nicol (NZ Cricket One-Day) Canterbury v Northern Districts 2012/13
135   DR Flynn (NZ Cricket One-Day) ND v Otago 2012/13
119   HM Amla (International) South Africa v New Zealand 2014/15
102   MJ Guptil (International) New Zealand v Sri Lanka 2015/16
127 MM Lamming (Women’s International) Australia v New Zealand 2015/16
114no MM Lamming (Women’s International) Australia v New Zealand 2015/16
110    SW Bates (Women’s International) New Zealand v Australia 2015/16
106   SW Bates (Women’s International) New Zealand v Australia 2015/16

Five Wicket Bags
5/40 MJ Henry (International) New Zealand v Sri Lanka 2015/16

Bay Oval Two Centuries
112no L Siaka (CWCQ) Papua New Guinea v Namibia 2013/14

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