McLean Park facts for kids
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| Ground information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Napier, New Zealand | ||
| Coordinates | 39°30′7″S 176°54′46″E / 39.50194°S 176.91278°E | ||
| Establishment | 1911 | ||
| Capacity | 19,700 | ||
| Owner | Napier City Council | ||
| Operator | Napier City Council | ||
| Tenants | Hurricanes (Super Rugby) Hawke's Bay Rugby Union (ITM Cup) Central Stags (State Championship/State Shield/State Twenty20) |
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| End names | |||
| Centennial stand end Embankment end |
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| International information | |||
| First Test | 16–21 February 1979: New Zealand v  Pakistan |
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| Last Test | 26–28 January 2012: New Zealand v  Zimbabwe |
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| First ODI | 19 March 1983: New Zealand v  Sri Lanka |
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| Last ODI | 29 March 2025: New Zealand v Pakistan |
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| First T20I | 3 January 2017: New Zealand v  Bangladesh |
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| Last T20I | 27 December 2023: New Zealand v Bangladesh |
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| First WODI | 17 January 1982: India v  International XI |
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| Last WODI | 14 December 2022: New Zealand v Bangladesh |
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| Only WT20I | 30 March 2021: New Zealand v  Australia |
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| Team information | |||
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| As of 27 December 2023 Source: Cricinfo |
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McLean Park is a famous sports stadium in Napier, New Zealand. It's a big place where two main sports are played: cricket and rugby union. It is one of the largest cricket grounds in all of New Zealand.
This stadium is a top-notch sports venue. It has a main outdoor field and an indoor events center. The local teams that call McLean Park home are the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union and the Central Districts Cricket Association. The stadium has two ends, called the Centennial Stand End and the Embankment End. Because of its location, it's known as the world's easternmost ground for Test cricket matches!
Contents
About McLean Park
McLean Park is located on Latham Street in Napier South. It's about one kilometer south of Napier's city center. The park was first named 'Sir Donald McLean Park' in 1910. This was to honor Sir Douglas Maclean, who gave ten acres of land for the park.
A Look at the Ground
For cricket, McLean Park is great for one-day games. The field's shape helps batsmen score lots of runs, especially at the start of a game. There are four covered stands and a big grassy hill for fans. The playing surface often gets slower as the day goes on. This means teams often like to bat first to set a high score.
The stadium has hosted first-class cricket matches since 1952. It has also held ten Test matches since 1979. New Zealand's Test record here is seven draws, one win, and two losses. The stadium can hold up to 19,700 people.
Sports Played Here
Cricket Matches
McLean Park is used for all kinds of cricket games. The very first One Day International (ODI) here was in March 1983. New Zealand played against Sri Lanka and won by 7 wickets. This stadium is known for its good batting conditions in one-day cricket. The New Zealand team has won many matches here.
The highest score ever made in an ODI at McLean Park was 373 runs for 8 wickets. This was by the New Zealand national cricket team against the Zimbabwean national cricket team in February 2012. Ross Taylor has scored the most runs here in ODIs, with 779 runs. Daniel Vettori has taken the most wickets, with 30.
The first Twenty20 International (T20I) game was played here in January 2017. New Zealand played against Bangladesh. This made McLean Park the sixth stadium in New Zealand to host a T20 international.
Rugby Union Games
McLean Park is the main stadium for the Hawkes Bay Magpies. They play in the Mitre 10 Cup. The stadium has also hosted games for the New Zealand Maori rugby union team.
During the 1987 Rugby World Cup, Canada played Tonga here. In the 2011 Rugby World Cup, McLean Park hosted two games. France played Canada, and Canada played Japan.
The stadium has also hosted two games for the All Blacks. In June 1996, the All Blacks beat Western Samoa 51-10. This was special because it was the first home game the All Blacks played under floodlights. In September 2014, the All Blacks won against Argentina 28-9.
McLean Park is also a backup home stadium for the Hurricanes team. They play in the Super Rugby competition. After the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the Crusaders team used McLean Park for two of their home games.
Rugby League Action
In July 2015, the Melbourne Storm Rugby league team played an NRL game here. They played against the St. George-Illawarra Dragons. The New Zealand Warriors also played a home game against the Brisbane Broncos here in May 2023.
Upgrades and Changes
McLean Park has been improved over the years. A new stand, called the Graham Lowe Stand, opened in August 2009. This upgrade was finished in just one year. It was built to prepare for the 2011 Rugby World Cup and the 2015 Cricket World Cup. Both events had games played at the park.
Sometimes, there have been issues with drainage. This caused some international cricket games to be moved in 2018. However, McLean Park made a comeback for international cricket in January 2019. New Zealand played against India.
Fun Facts and Records
McLean Park is known for having a very good cricket pitch for batsmen. It's one of the best in the world for scoring runs! This means it can be hard for bowlers to get players out. Seven out of ten Test matches played here have ended in a draw. New Zealand won one Test match here against Zimbabwe in 2012.
The highest score by a team in Test cricket here was 619 runs for 9 wickets. This was by the New Zealand national cricket team against the Indian national cricket team in March 2009. Some top batsmen at this ground include Brendon McCullum (494 runs) and Ross Taylor (420 runs). For bowlers, Chris Martin has taken the most wickets, with 22.
See also
In Spanish: McLean Park para niños
