Hagley Oval

Hagley Oval is a cricket ground in Hagley Park in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand.[2] The first recorded match on the ground was in 1867, when Canterbury cricket team hosted Otago cricket team. Canterbury used the ground infrequently from then through until the 1920s, but hardly stopped during World War I.

Hagley Oval
Aerial view of Hagley Oval: North is the Botanic Gardens end, East is the historic Umpires' Pavilion side, South is the Port Hills end and West is the Christ's College cricket ground end
Ground information
LocationChristchurch, Canterbury
Coordinates43.534°S 172.619°E / -43.534; 172.619
Establishment1851
Capacity18,000[1]
End names
Port Hills end
Botanic Gardens end
International information
First Test26–29 December 2014:
 New Zealand v  Sri Lanka
Last Test25 February–1 March 2022:
 New Zealand v  South Africa
First ODI23 January 2014:
 Canada v  Scotland
Last ODI23 March 2021:
 New Zealand v  Bangladesh
First T20I1 November 2019:
 New Zealand v  England
Last T20I22 February 2021:
 New Zealand v  Australia
First women's Test7–11 March 1969:
 New Zealand v  England
Last women's Test28 February – 4 March 1995:
 New Zealand v  Australia
First WODI23 January 1992:
 New Zealand v  Australia
Last WODI3 April 2022:
 Australia v  England
Only WT20I15 November 2015:
 New Zealand v  Sri Lanka
Team information
Canterbury (1886–present)
As of 3 April 2022
Source: Cricinfo

The first match in the Plunket Shield was played there in December 1907, when Canterbury played Auckland.[3] Canterbury returned there in 1979, and played a number of their 1993/94 Shell Cup home matches at the ground.

History

1st Match, Canterbury v England, Hagley Park – February 1864

"Cricket in Canterbury had a natural birth. The settlement in 1850 was a planned reproductions of a piece of England in a strange land 12,000 miles away. It was a church-based design, but the bat went with the bible, for if there was to be another England, there most certainly had to be cricket."[4]

Application for the Cricket Pitch at Hagley Park, Christchurch, 1855

Hagley Oval's destiny as the historical and spiritual home of cricket in Canterbury was determined in the first days of a new and flourishing Christchurch. Just four months after the arrival of the first four ships, the settlers to Canterbury had formed their very own cricket club. Only months later, as part of Founders' Day celebrations on 16 December 1851, an enthusiastic game ensured the verdant roots of cricket, and those of the city's settlers were well and truly laid.

Hagley Oval has since been identified and documented as the cornerstone of Canterbury and New Zealand cricketing activity. During the early decades the Oval hosted a series of inter-provincial matches, as well as the occasional international fixtures. It continues to host all grades of cricket, and was one of the host grounds for the ICC 2015 Cricket World Cup.

The Hagley Oval Foundation was established by the Canterbury Cricket Trust and the Canterbury Cricket Association, to raise the funds necessary to fully develop Hagley Oval into an international-standard cricket venue.

The ground pays tribute to the cricket history in Canterbury and also provides an exciting opportunity for the future of Canterbury and New Zealand Cricket.

Acceptance of Lease of land for Cricket Pitch at Hagley Park, Christchurch – 1856

Return to Hagley Oval

The ground in 2007

Cricket and rugby shared Lancaster Park from post World War I until well into the 1990s. By that stage the extended rugby season was encroaching onto cricket's traditional international window in February and March.

As early as 1998 Canterbury Cricket recognised the need for a purpose built cricket ground for international and provincial cricket. A return to Hagley Oval was investigated and in 2006/7 the Canterbury Cricket Association determined to prioritise it as its preferred venue. The Canterbury Cricket Trust was established and the Hagley Pavilion designs were developed by early 2011.

As an international venue

The first One Day International at the ground was played between Scotland and Canada during the 2014 Cricket World Cup Qualifier on 23 January 2014. The ground has also hosted three Women's Test matches and six Women's ODIs.

In 2013 the controversial Canterbury Cricket proposal to develop Hagley Oval as an international cricket venue was approved by the Environment Court.[5] During the process of building and renovation of the Oval, it suffered two major floodings in 2013.

In 2014, Hagley Oval became the eighth Test venue in New Zealand. The Boxing Day match against Sri Lanka marked New Zealand's first Test in Christchurch since the city was hit by a major earthquake in 2011, but nearly 10 years since Lancaster Park held what became the final match in Christchurch in 2006.[6][7] Brendon McCullum scored his fastest test hundred in New Zealand's history. He also scored his 1000th test run in the 2014 calendar year, but missed out on his 4th test double century in that calendar year.

Hagley Oval hosted NZ's opening ceremony and match for the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, while their final match as host of the World Cup was between England and Scotland on 23 February 2015, which was a day after the 4th anniversary of 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

When the Oval has no matches scheduled, it can still be used as a community park, with youth level, mixed-gender cricket being played on Saturdays. The tent-like pavilion was named after the Hadlee Family when the old Hadlee stand of Lancaster Park being demolished first after the Park become unusable. The pitch is oval but widthways not lengthways, with 11 wickets in the block of which 10 are approved for Tests with full boundaries. This makes it the largest cricket ground in New Zealand. There are no drop-in pitches required. It emulates certain aspects of Lord's and a large and fast outfield of Adelaide Oval, so it slopes down evenly outside the boundaries.[8]

Ground specifications

Capacity– Approx. 20,000

Playing dimensions–149m x 149m WICKETS–11

Hagley Oval in August 2019

Lights

Hagley Oval had often been overlooked for international matches on the grounds of not having any lights, and therefore not being able to hold matches that went into the evening. In 2013, resource consent was granted for four retractable lights to be installed at Hagley Oval, which was later changed to consent for six permanent lights in response to continual improvements to broadcasting standards. Approval for the lights was finalised in 2019,[9] and a loan secured from the Christchurch City Council in May 2020.[10]

In November 2020, the six 49m-high lights were installed, making Hagley Oval the only cricket ground on the South Island with "broadcast quality" lighting. The installation had faced some opposition from local residents, who had wanted to preserve the character of the park. The first match utilising the lights was on 10 January 2021, between Canterbury and Central Districts.

Future

Hagley Oval is set to host the final of the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup.

See also

References

  1. "U19 Venue Feature: Hagley Park". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  2. Hagley Oval CricketArchive
  3. R.T. Brittenden, Great Days in New Zealand Cricket, A.H. & A.W. Reed, Wellington, 1958, pp. 33–38.
  4. Brittenden, Richard Trevor (1977). 100 Years of Cricket; a history of the Canterbury Cricket Association 1877–1977. Christchurch: Papanui Press.
  5. Rachel Young (14 August 2013). "Hagley Oval development gets go-ahead". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  6. Boxing Day Test for Hagley Oval New Zealand Cricket
  7. "Hadlee's pride at Christchurch rebuild". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  8. RESUME PLAY: A NEW ERA FOR CRICKET IN POST-EARTHQUAKE CANTERBURY, TVNZ
  9. "Approval given for light towers at Christchurch's Hagley Oval". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  10. "CCC LOAN APPROVED FOR HAGLEY OVAL LIGHTS". The Canterbury Cricket Association (CCA). Retrieved 6 August 2020.
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