Bellerive Oval facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bellerive Oval

Blundstone Arena
Australia vs England cricket ODI, 2005
Location	Bellerive, Tasmania
Coordinates	42°52′38″S 147°22′25″E / 42.87722°S 147.37361°E / -42.87722; 147.37361
Owner	Clarence City Council
Operator	Tasmanian Cricket Association (TCA)
Capacity	19,500
Field size	175 x 133.5 metres
Surface	Grass
Construction
Broke ground	1913
Opened	1914
Construction cost	Unknown
Architect	Various
Tenants
Australia national cricket team (Cricket) Tasmanian Tigers (Cricket) Clarence Roos (TSL) Hobart Hurricanes (BBL) Hobart Hurricanes (WBBL) North Melbourne Football Club (AFL)
Hobart Cricket Ground Ground information End names Church Street End River End International information First Test 16–20 December 1989: Australia v Sri Lanka Last Test 12–16 November 2016: Australia v South Africa First ODI 12 January 1988: New Zealand v Sri Lanka Last ODI 11 November 2018: Australia v South Africa First T20I 10 February 2010: Australia v West Indies Last T20I 7 February 2018: Australia v England

Bellerive Oval is a famous sports ground in Bellerive, a suburb of Hobart, Tasmania. It is also known as Blundstone Arena because of a sponsorship deal. This stadium is the only place in Tasmania that hosts international cricket matches. It can hold up to 19,500 people.

Bellerive Oval is the home ground for Tasmania's state cricket teams, the Tasmanian Tigers and Hobart Hurricanes. It has hosted international Test matches since 1989 and one-day matches since 1988. It is also a second home ground for the AFL team North Melbourne. They play three home games there each season. The stadium has been updated a lot to host these big events.

History of Bellerive Oval

Front Gate Bellerive Oval

Bellerive Oval with lights on, 2011

Sports like football and cricket have been played in the Bellerive Oval area since the mid-1800s. The first recorded football game there was in 1884. In 1913, the land was sold to the Clarence council. One year later, in 1914, the new Bellerive recreation ground was ready for use.

The ground stayed mostly the same until the mid-1980s. Back then, it had a hump in the middle, making it hard to see players from the other side. There was a small shed for players and a simple scoreboard. In 1956, a proper turf cricket pitch was installed.

In 1948, the Clarence Football Club, which played at the ground, wanted to join the Tasmanian Football League. This meant the ground needed to be improved to meet the league's standards. Some small upgrades happened in the 1960s, including new clubrooms and a small grandstand.

Cricket Comes to Bellerive

In 1977, Tasmania joined the Sheffield Shield, a major cricket competition. The Tasmanian Cricket Association (TCA) decided to move its main ground to Bellerive Oval. They spent $2.2 million to build new grandstands, training areas, a hill, and a new playing surface. The old scoreboard was moved there, and a special three-level Members' Pavilion was built.

The improved ground opened in 1986 for a football match. However, the new grass was damaged, so no more football games were played there that season.

The TCA officially moved in 1987. The first international cricket match at Bellerive Oval was on January 12, 1988. It was between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, and about 6,500 people watched.

The first Test match in Tasmania was played at Bellerive from December 16-20, 1989. It was between Australia and Sri Lanka. Soon after, a new electronic scoreboard and a Northern Stand were added.

In 2007, the Tasmanian Tigers won their first Pura Cup at the oval. In 2008, the ground hosted its first Ford Ranger Cup final, which Tasmania also won.

In October 2011, the oval became the first top cricket ground in Australia to get a naming rights sponsor. It was named "Blundstone Arena" after Blundstone Footwear. This name was temporarily paused during the 2015 Cricket World Cup.

Stadium Buildings and Features

Members' Stand in 2009

In 1999, the government helped fund a big upgrade for Bellerive Oval. The total cost was $16 million. The first part of this upgrade was a modern indoor training area. Next came the 6,000-seat Southern Stand. This stand helped block winds and included a new media center. The new Members' Area was the last part of the upgrade. It has areas for media, corporate boxes, and player facilities. The improved stadium officially opened on January 11, 2003. A huge crowd of 16,719 people watched Australia beat England in a thrilling one-day match.

To allow for day-night matches, four tall light towers were put up in 2009. This cost $4.8 million. These lights meant that one-day international (ODI) and Twenty20 cricket matches could be played at night.

The ground was planned for more upgrades by 2015. The government provided $15 million to make the Southern Stand and Members' Stand bigger. This increased the stadium's capacity to over 20,000 people for the 2015 Cricket World Cup. The new stand was named the Ricky Ponting Stand, and the existing Southern Stand was named the David Boon Stand.

A panorama of Australia v New Zealand Cricket One-day International in 2007

Events at Bellerive

Besides being a home for cricket and the Clarence Football Club, Bellerive Oval has hosted other sports events. In 2003, it was home to the Tasmanian Devils in the VFL. The first game attracted a large crowd of 6,970 people. The stadium also hosted two of Tasmania's finals matches that year.

North Melbourne Football Club

In 2010, there was talk about AFL clubs from Melbourne playing some of their home games at Bellerive Oval. The North Melbourne team became the most likely to do this.

On June 7, 2011, North Melbourne announced a new deal. From 2012 to 2014, they would play two home games per year at Bellerive Oval. Their first game was on April 8, 2012, where they beat the Greater Western Sydney Giants. This deal was later extended. Now, North Melbourne continues to play three games per season at Bellerive Oval until 2022.

Attendance Records

Hill, Australia v South Africa, 2009

The highest number of people to attend a game at Bellerive Oval before the recent upgrades was 16,719. This was for a One Day International match between Australia and England on January 14, 2003. The first international match there, between New Zealand and Sri Lanka in 1988, had 6,180 fans.

On February 21, 2010, a Twenty20 International match between Australia and the West Indies drew a crowd of 15,575. This was the first international day-night cricket match at Bellerive Oval.

Since the Ricky Ponting stand was added, the record attendance is 18,149. This happened during a 2015–16 BBL cricket match between Hobart Hurricanes and Perth Scorchers on January 10, 2016. The highest crowd for an AFL game at Bellerive Oval is 17,844. This was for a match between North Melbourne and Richmond on June 3, 2016.

^{Last updated on 8 January 2017}

Getting to Bellerive Oval

You can get to Bellerive Oval by Metro buses or by ferry from Hobart City to Bellerive Wharf. When big events are held, there can be a lot of traffic and parking can be difficult in the nearby streets.