Each summer a debate ignites over which ground is the home of New Zealand cricket. Until recently, that wasn’t much of an argument, with the Basin Reserve in Wellington embracing the crown – but in 2024/25, the title could be up for grabs. Mike
South Island sports wrap: The new home of New Zealand cricket?
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The Basin Reserve hosted its first test in 1930. It's considered by many to be the home of New Zealand Cricket – but it has a rival for that title. Photo / NZME
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So, which venue is the home – and which one is the summer holiday bach – or crib, for the southern folk?
Hagley Oval is one of Christchurch’s great post-earthquake stories.
In 2011, Lancaster Park was condemned by the February 22 earthquake. 130 years after it was opened, the ground that hosted New Zealand’s test cricket debut in 1930 (40 test matches in total) and scores of other sporting events was no longer the centre of Canterbury’s sporting universe. Better was to come. Much better. And it had been planned well before the ground shook.
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“We started looking back in the late 1990s to go back to a cricket-specific venue and Hagley ticked all the boxes really. This started in 1996-97 when Super Rugby came on board and Chris Doig [NZ Cricket CEO at the time] and I [formed] a bit of a team,” says Lee Robinson, chairman of the Canterbury Cricket Trust.
“Looking at all the options, we kept coming back to Hagley because it had that tradition. The trees had been planted for a cricket oval back in 1851.”
Hagley Oval may be a new test venue but, as Robinson alludes to, its history goes back to an anniversary match in the middle of the 1800s to mark a year since the founding of the settlement of Christchurch.
“The England settlers came here on those four ships and one of the first things they did was create a cricket ground just a wee bit further south from where Hagley Oval is at the moment,” says Robinson.
Just over a decade after the ground held its first match, it was hosting first-class cricket between Canterbury and Otago, in early 1865. The following year, a pavilion was installed. The Canterbury Cricket Umpires Association Pavilion is still at the ground today and is thought to be New Zealand’s oldest sports building.
Hagley hosted its first test in 2014, the Boxing Day test against Sri Lanka. Current England coach and former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum scored 195 (and had figures of 1-0-3-0) in a big win for the hosts. Ten years later, the venue is iconic. A purpose-built test venue with a nod to the game’s roots. And the Roots approved.
“I’ll never forget, you know, Matt Root, who is Joe Root’s father, just saying to me ‘Look, this is fantastic for our family. We come out to New Zealand in our winter, we can get up in the morning, go and have a coffee, walk to the cricket’ through our Botanic Gardens,” says Robinson.
The travelling Barmy Army are also big fans of the Christchurch ground.
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“Hagley Oval is just ridiculous. It’s like walking through your sort of local park, and suddenly there’s an international test ground in the middle of it,” says Barmy Army General, Chuck Adolphy.
A video posted on X, formerly Twitter, appears to show the England team travelling to the ground on Lime scooters on the morning of the first test.
Bus ❌
— England's Barmy Army 🏴🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) November 28, 2024
Taxis ❌
Electric scooters ✅
The @englandcricket team arriving at the Hagley Oval in style 🛴🤣
📺 Watch #NZvENG with TNT Sports and discovery+ pic.twitter.com/g3u54OM5Jk
“It’s just an easy thing to do. The bars and the hospitality industry love it because people just walk through town and just enjoy it,” says Robinson.
“What we have got is something that has that Village Green approach to cricket. Take the kids along, sit on the bank, take the deck chairs and picnic baskets along, that’s what Hagley provides.”
Hagley can also provide a challenge leaving after a full day of sun and fun.
One Barmy Army supporter broke his arm falling down the bank at Hagley. It was unclear how much “fun” he’d had beforehand.
Robinson, who was recently made a New Zealand Cricket life member for his work, including the upgrade of Hagley Oval, says the governing body was founded in Christchurch and until recently was based in the Garden City. The high-performance centre is still located at Lincoln University.
“If people would like to refer to it [Hagley Oval] as the home of cricket, we won’t say no,” says Robinson.
The Basin is a lot more forthright about claiming the title. The ground’s own handle on X (formerly Twitter) declares itself “the home of cricket in New Zealand”.
The case for the Wellington venue is based more on the historical acts that it has hosted, and there’s no denying it has seen some of New Zealand Cricket’s finest hours.
McCullum’s 302 against India (beoming first New Zealander to make a test triple century), Martin Crowe’s 299 – and his world-record partnership of 467 with Andrew Jones (v Sri Lanka 1991) – the first test win against England in 1978 and many more.
It hosted New Zealand’s second test – and therefore, when Lancaster Park was decommissioned as an international venue, the Basin became New Zealand’s oldest test venue. It also houses the New Zealand Cricket Museum in a magnificently restored stand.
There is undoubtedly a soft spot for the ground among most New Zealand cricket lovers. Some softer than others.
“I do believe that every time you come to the Basin Reserve, you feel like summer’s officially started, with the greatest respect to Hagley Oval and ... the lovely people in Christchurch, but there’s something about this place,” said Scotty Stevenson during TVNZ’s coverage – instantly disrespecting Hagley Oval and the lovely people in Christchurch.
He was at the time lobbing up the gentlest of full tosses to New Zealand Cricket CEO and overt Wellingtonian, Scott Weenink.
“I always have to be careful that I’m not too biased towards the Basin Reserve. But it really is a very, very special ground,” said Weenink.
The purist’s love affair with the Basin Reserve was probably enhanced by the fact that for many years it was New Zealand’s only true cricket ground. Lancaster Park, Eden Park, Carisbrook and McLean Park are/were all dual-purpose and slightly (or woefully) misshapen grounds – sharing their seasons with rugby. The Basin also hosts some winter codes – but it is, in the main, a cricket ground.
Since the early 1990s they’ve had company in that space. Seddon Park, University Oval in Dunedin, Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui and, of course, historic Hagley Oval. Each are true cricket grounds – admittedly of varying sizes, so one of the Basin’s previously unique features is no longer unique. A long-lived history isn’t unique to the Basin either – Eden Park can rival that.
First test win? Eden Park. Lowest test total? Eden Park.
Success? The Basin has seen the home side prevail on 23 occasions with a success rate of 33%. The Black Caps’ success rate at Hagley is double that – admittedly over a much shorter period and in a very different era. But they win more matches in the 03.
The debate will continue for many summers to come – and rightly so – but with every test, Hagley Oval is becoming more and more ... homely.
Touch champs
St Bede’s College of Christchurch are national touch champions after a 5-4 win against Westlake Boys High School at the National Secondary Schools tournament in Rotorua at the weekend.
St Bede’s had earlier defeated Hamilton Boys’ High School in a high-scoring semifinal (11-7) and Otago Boys’ High School in the quarters (7-6).
Nelson College were beaten by Westlake in the other semifinal, finishing 4th overall.
Columba College of Dunedin were pipped 4-2 by Hamilton Girls’ High in the girls’ competition, bringing their unbeaten run to an end. Both Columba and their local rivals St Hilda’s (Dunedin) had come through pool play unbeaten before they met in their semifinal.
Columba defeated St. Hilda’s 4-2 to progress to the final.
In the mixed competition, St Andrew’s College also fell one short – going down 11-7 to Mahurangi College in their final.
South Otago High School made an impressive run to the semifinals before finishing fourth, while Rangiora High School, Rolleston College and Lincoln High School all finished in the top 10.
Party poopers
Despite some raucous hometown support, Canterbury’s top golfers couldn’t get it done at the recent Interprovincial championships at Russley and Harewood Golf Clubs in Christchurch.
The 2024 event saw the introduction of a “stadium” that overlooked the ninth and 18th greens at Russley. The platform encouraged a party atmosphere with food, music and refreshments.
Russley general manager Tony Marriott told the Herald that around 2000 spectators attended the event, above what would usually be expected.
Marriott says the players and the spectators gave overwhelmingly positive feedback to the innovation and says the bar has been set for future events.
The Canterbury women had the local crowd making plenty of noise but ultimately lost narrowly to Auckland in their semifinal (3-2).
Auckland were then outclassed by a young North Harbour side (3.5-1.5) in the final.
Canterbury also lost the semifinal of the men’s competition to Bay of Plenty (4-1). Only Cooper Moore – the national amateur champion – was able to get a win for the red and blacks.
Bay of Plenty then lost the final to defending champions Auckland – 3-2.
Canterbury had beaten Auckland in pool play on Friday and were looking likely to make the final, before Bay of Plenty spoiled the party.
