Hagley Oval, located in South Hagley Park, is Christchurch's premier cricket ground.
Access
The Hagley Oval is located in South Hagley Park at 63 Riccarton Avenue.
There is very little car parking in the surrounding area so early arrival is recommended on match days.
Metroinfo(external link) has up to date bus information
The grounds
Hagley Oval hosts all grades of cricket, including World Cup, women's internationals and youth matches.
The Hagley Oval provides six all-grass, first class wickets where matches are played.
Three cricket pavilions service these grounds - the St Albans Club, Christchurch Old Boys Club and the Riccarton Cricket Club.
Hagley Oval was redeveloped in 2014 and can now hold 20,000 people.
The Oval and Pavilion facilities can be booked for community and business events.
For a detailed history of Hagley Oval, the upcoming events schedule and how to book the facilities for an event, head to the Hagley Oval(external link) website.
Cricket has a long association with the city, having been played in Christchurch since the early years of European settlement. The first recorded cricket game was played in Hagley Park in 1851 as part of celebrations to recognise the first anniversary of the arrival of the earliest colonists.
A cornerstone of Canterbury cricketing activity, the Hagley Oval was established in 1866 and has been a hallowed ground for cricket ever since.
The historic Umpires Pavilion(external link), built 1864, was originally located on a smaller pitch near the junction of Riccarton Road and Deans Avenue. When the Hagley Oval was built a few years later, the pavilion was divided into sections, moved to the new site and reassembled there. Saved and restored by grants and volunteers between 1989-1990, it is thought that this pavilion is the oldest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
For more information on the grounds history and management, read the Conservation(external link) and Management Plans.