Seddon Park
Seddon Park is a cricket ground in Hamilton, New Zealand. It is the fourth-largest cricket ground in the country, and is renowned for its "village green" setting, affording a picnic atmosphere for spectators.
 | |
| Ground information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Hamilton Central, Hamilton, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 37°47′12″S 175°16′27″E |
| Capacity | 10,000 |
| Tenants | New Zealand |
| End names | |
| Members End City End | |
| International information | |
| First Test | 22–26 February 1991:  |
| Last Test | 29 November–3 December 2019: |
| First ODI | 15 February 1981: |
| Last ODI | 5 February 2020: |
| First T20I | 28 December 2008: |
| Last T20I | 29 January 2020: |
| As of 5 February 2020 Source: Cricinfo | |
History
Seddon Park was named after Richard Seddon, the longest-serving Prime Minister of New Zealand. Hamilton Borough Council named it in July 1906 before it was developed.[1] It was first used for a major cricket match in February 1914, when the touring Australians played a South Auckland XVIII in a two-day match.[2] It has been in constant use since.[3]
Due to sponsorship from Trust Bank and subsequently Westpac, the ground was known as Trust Bank Park from 1990 to 1997, as WestpacTrust Park from 1997 to 2003, and as Westpac Park from 2003 to 2006. It reverted to its original name in 2006, when Westpac decided to end its sponsorship of a number of sporting events and grounds in New Zealand.
Seddon Park was also used for the 2015 Cricket World Cup for two of the world cup's matches.[4]
Ground
Seddon Park is a round, well-grassed ground with a centre block of nine pitches, running approximately north to south. These pitches are usually very good for batting. There is an embankment going around three-quarters of the perimeter, with a tall hedgerow outside this embankment.
In addition to cricket, Seddon Park has been used for rugby union, rugby league and hockey matches. It therefore has a flexible stadium environment that can be modified according to sports events.
Usage and statistics
Seddon Park has been used for first-class cricket since the 1956–57 season, coinciding with the formation of the Northern Districts Cricket Association and the inclusion of the Northern Districts cricket team in the Plunket Shield competition.
The ground is used for hosting Twenty20 International matches, One Day International matches as well as Test matches. It has hosted a total of 9 T20Is, 34 ODIs and 25 Test matches. The first ODI played here was between New Zealand and India on 15 February 1981, which New Zealand won by 57 runs. The first Test match was played on 22–26 February 1991, between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, which was a draw.
Kane Williamson has the highest Test score on the ground, 200 not out versus Bangladesh in 2019, whilst Ross Taylor holds the highest Test aggregate for the ground of 908 runs.
The ground was also used for one season in 2001 for the majority of Waikato and Chiefs rugby home games. Temporary stands were raised for the games. Rugby returned to the newly built Waikato Stadium for the following year.
See also
References
- "[untitled]". Waikato Argus. XXI (3230): 2. 14 July 1906. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
- "Australia v South Auckland". Waikato Times (12784): 4. 3 February 1914. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
- "Other matches played on Seddon Park, Hamilton". CricketArchive. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
- "ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 launched: India and Pakistan grouped together, face off on February 15". ndtv.com.
