Nelson Park, Napier

Nelson Park

Ground information
Location	Napier, New Zealand
Establishment	1920 (first recorded match)
Team information
Central Districts Women (2010) Central Districts (1986–present) Hawke's Bay (1920–1921)
As of 2 November 2011 Source: Ground profile

Nelson Park is a cricket ground in Napier, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. It is situated in Napier South, about 600 metres south-west of the Napier CBD, and about 200 metres north-west of Napier's main sports stadium, McLean Park.

Establishment

A syndicate reclaimed the Napier South area from the Ahuriri Lagoon and swamp in 1908. In 1909, the town council purchased 20 acres for a park named in honour of a member of the reclamation syndicate, the Hawke's Bay pioneering settler William Nelson.^[1]

Playing history

The ground first held a first-class match when Hawke's Bay played Wellington in 1920, and Hawke's Bay also played a first-class match there in 1921 against the touring Australians.^[2] In the 1920s Nelson Park was regarded as one of the best cricket wickets in New Zealand.^[3]

Senior cricket was next played at Nelson Park nearly 65 years later when Central Districts played Wellington in the 1985–86 Shell Trophy. It has been a regular first-class venue since 2007. As of December 2018, Central Districts has played 20 first-class matches there, lifting the Plunket Shield at the venue in 2017–18.^[2] A 2011-12 Ford Trophy match was held between the Central Districts Stags and the Wellington Firebirds, which finished in a no result.^[4]

Five Youth One Day Internationals have been played at Nelson Park, all in the 2010 Under-19 World Cup.^[5] The ground has also been used a home venue for Central Districts Women in the State League in the 2010/11 season.^[6]

Nelson Park is the home of the Hawke's Bay Cricket Association, and since the 1980s it has been the usual home ground for Hawke's Bay in the Hawke Cup.^[7] There are five cricket pitches in the park, with some overlap among the five fields.^[1]

Other uses

After the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake, 500 tents were erected on Nelson Park to provide emergency accommodation for displaced residents.^[1]

As well as cricket grounds, the park precinct also includes a pétanque club and tennis courts.^[1]

References

1. "Nelson Park". Napier City Council. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
2. "First-Class Matches played on Nelson Park, Napier". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
3. Campbell 1975, p. 123-4.
4. "List A Matches played on Nelson Park, Napier". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
5. "Youth One-Day International Matches played on Nelson Park, Napier". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
6. "Women's New Zealand Domestic League Matches played on Nelson Park, Napier". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
7. "Hawke Cup Matches played by Hawke's Bay". CricketArchive. Retrieved 27 January 2024.

Sources

• Campbell, M.D.N. (1975). Story of Napier, 1874–1974. Napier: Martin Printing Company.

External links

• Nelson Park at ESPNcricinfo
• Nelson Park at CricketArchive

39.498391°S 176.910237°E / -39.498391; 176.910237