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Busy Time at the Bay Oval during the 2014/2015 Season

The pressure never lets up at the Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui where attending to the wicket blocks, outfields and grass practice wickets has become a 12 months of the year assignment for Bay Oval Turf Manager Jared Carter and his team.

The Bay Oval, situated on Blake Park, Mount Maunganui, is the premier cricket ground of the Bay of Plenty region. Set against the backdrop of Mount Mauao, the Bay Oval is an internationally sized, purpose built ground.  It boasts 70 m boundaries, enclosed by a white picket fence, surrounded by grass embankments’ with seating for up to 15,000 people.  High quality Patamahoe clay wickets are complimented by a Couch grass outfield, which has already gained a reputation for pace and exceptional drainage due to the sandy base of the region. 

The Bay Oval boasts an 18 strip grass practice facility, unique in quality and availability; able to be used throughout the year, due to the exceptional climate of the region and the free draining surrounds. The Oval is complimented by a pavilion which was completed in December of 2013 and features international standard changing and player viewing facilities.

The Bay Oval became the countries latest international cricket ground, when the two wickets, hosted 12 matches in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifying 2014 tournament. The Bay Oval received international status, when the Netherlands and Canada played of for seventh place in the CWCQ14. The Mount Maunganui ground received temporary ICC ODI (One Day International) status, as both sides have ICC ODI rankings and the game was contested as a One Day International.

Season Start
Early August 2014, saw the Northern Knights who were preparing to represent New Zealand at the Champions League to be played in India in September 2014, train at the ground. Also in August, the White Ferns returned to train for their tour of the West Indies and they also played a one-day match against a Bay of Plenty Invitation side. The features of an outstanding winter wicket, were the White Ferns chasing down a massive 259 and Bay batsmen Ben Musgrave blasting an unbeaten 140 off just 113 balls.

In what will be a frenetic season of international and first class cricket at the Bay Oval - Afghanistan will be the first international side to visit the Blake Park ground when they arrive on the 29th September 2014. Afghanistan, who are one of the four qualifiers for the ICC World Cricket Cup 2015, will travel to New Zealand and Australia in September and October 2014. The visit is part of the ICC High Performance Programme and will assist Afghanistan along with United Arab Emirates (UAE) Scotland and Ireland’s preparations, for crickets pinnacle 50-over tournament.

Afghanistan, will train at the Bay Oval practice facilities, before playing four games against two New Zealand first class sides. On the 2nd and 4th of October they will face the Auckland Aces in one-day action before meeting the Northern Knights on the 7th and 9th of October.

An aside to the Afghanistan matches, will see the Aces and Knights square off on the 6th October, as both teams prepare for their professional campaigns in the 2014/15 season.

A couple of days after Afghanistan depart Mount Maunganui, the Ireland Cricket team will arrive for three days of training and practice from the 12th to the 14th of October. 

Black Caps Play at the Bay Oval for the First Time
Bay of Plenty Cricket history will be made on Tuesday 21st October 2014, when the Black Caps play South Africa in the first Black Caps ODI (One Day International) at the countries latest International Cricket venue, at the Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui.

Three days later, the Black Caps and South Africa will back up in the second ODI at the Mount Maunganui on Friday 24th September, before moving to Seddon Park in Hamilton for the third game of the ANZ International Series on Labour Monday (27th September 2014)

The Black Cap side to play South Africa is likely to have a strong Bay of Plenty player presence. In the last few seasons, Kane Williamson and Trent Boult have graduated from the Bay of Plenty senior men’s teams to the Black Caps by way of the Northern Knights. In addition Corey Anderson stormed into the New Zealand side last season from his residence in the Western Bay of Plenty last season.

NZC Domestic Cricket Return to the Bay Oval
The wheel has gone full circle with the return of one-day cricket to Blake Park. On the 28th December 1987 the first major association fifty-over match was played at Blake Park, on what is now the Mount Maunganui Cricket Club main ground, before New Zealand Cricket pulled the pin on the popular holiday season one-day matches. The last took place on the 3rd January 2002, with Northern Districts playing Central Districts on both occasions.

The Northern Knights, will play three Ford Trophies games at their alternate home ground at the Bay Oval, with the opening match in the Bay of Plenty on the first day of 2015. They will face the Wellington Firebirds before backing up on the 4th January against the Otago Volts.

With just six first class teams in the country, there are no easy matches and the Knights will want to take advantage of their home venue. On the 21st January they will square off the Auckland Aces.

White Ferns v England
After the success of the White Ferns against West Indies last season, the New Zealand Women’s team will return to one of their favourite venues to play three ODI’s against England. Kicking off on the 11th February 2015, the White Ferns will also be on action two days later, with the Bay of Plenty finale being played on the 15th of February.

Plunket Shield Cricket comes to the Bay Oval
One of the oldest cricket trophies in New Zealand will feature at the Bay Oval, when the last round of the Northern Knights Plunket Shield campaign, will take place on 1st to the 4th of April 2015. The four-day Plunket Shield competition, which is named after the fifth Baron Plunket who was the Governer-General of New Zealand, was first played in the 1906-07 season.
First Class (four day) cricket sets a completely different scenario for the six major associations in the country. Tactics and consistency in both batting and bowling are vitally important, with two innings apiece making for intriguing contests. The Northern Knights opponents for the season ending Plunket Shield round, are long time rivals in the Auckland Aces, which should make for some thrilling and entertaining cricket over the four days of the encounter.

BAY OVAL, MOUNT MAUNGANUI - 2014/15 MATCH SCHEDULE
Afghanistan in New Zealand
29 September  Arrive and train
2 October v Auckland
4 October v Auckland
(6 October  Auckland v ND)
7 October v ND
9 October v ND

Ireland in New Zealand
October 12-15 Arrive and train

One Day Internationals
October 21  ODI – Black Caps v South Africa
October 24  ODI – Black Caps v South Africa

Ford Trophy
January 1  Northern Knights v Wellington Firebirds
January 4  Northern Knights v Otago Volts
January 21  Northern Knights v Auckland Aces

Women’s One Day Internationals
February 11  White Ferns v England
February 13  White Ferns v England
February 15  White Ferns v England

Plunket Shield
April 1-4  Plunket Shield – Northern Knights v Canterbury