University Oval, Dunedin
| "Varsity Oval" | |
|
|
| Former names | Logan Park Oval |
|---|---|
| Location | Dunedin, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 45°51′57″S 170°31′31″E / 45.86583°S 170.52528°ECoordinates: 45°51′57″S 170°31′31″E / 45.86583°S 170.52528°E |
| Owner | Dunedin City Council |
| Capacity | 3500 (can be increased to 6000 by use of temporary seating) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1913 |
| Opened | 1920 |
| Renovated | 1979 |
| Expanded | 2004, 2012 |
| Tenants | |
|
Otago Cricket Association Otago Volts Otago University Rugby Football Club |
|
| Ground information | |
| End names | |
| Southern End Northern End |
|
| International information | |
| First Test | 4–6 January 2008: New Zealand v  Bangladesh |
| Last Test | 8–12 March 2017: New Zealand v  South Africa |
| First ODI | 8 February 2010: New Zealand v Bangladesh |
| Last ODI | 26 February 2015: Afghanistan v  Scotland |
| As of 8 March 2017 Source: Cricinfo |
|
The University of Otago Oval is a sports ground located at Logan Park, Dunedin, New Zealand, and owned by the Dunedin City Council. The ground was originally owned by the University of Otago, but ownership was transferred to the city council when a redevelopment was completed in the early 2000s.
The ground is the home of both the Otago Cricket Association and the University of Otago Rugby Football Club, and is also used as a training base for the Highlanders Rugby Football team. The University of Otago Oval hosted the first game where the Umpire Decision Review System was officially used, after a test run in Sri Lanka in 2008.
A media complex, which consists of television and radio commentary rooms, is situated at the northern end of the ground. Temporary scaffolding for television cameras is built at both ends of the ground (above the media complex, and on the bank at the southern end) when required. A historic grandstand is located at the southern end of the ground, and an electronic scoreboard on the north-eastern side.
The grandstand complex includes changing rooms, members’ rooms, lounges and bars, players’ viewing areas, a medical room, kitchens, offices, umpires’ rooms, a canteen and shop, media rooms and storage rooms. A building attached to the rear hosts the University Rugby Club.
The University of Otago Oval became New Zealand's seventh test ground when it hosted its first test match on 4 January 2008, between New Zealand and Bangladesh. This was Dunedin's first Test match for ten years. NZ$6 million was spent refurbishing the University of Otago Oval and it has now replaced Carisbrook as Dunedin's test-cricket venue.
Just one month prior to the Test match, a State Championship match between Auckland and Otago, which was scheduled to last four days, ended in less than two due to an under-prepared pitch. Auckland scored 94 and 128 and Otago 170 and 54 for 4. Auckland Coach, Mark O'Donnell, had this to say about the pitch:
"It was an unmitigated cock-up and a disgraceful wicket. I've been five times to [University Oval] in the last five years and on each occasion it's been substandard. They just haven't got it right. If you'd put a test attack on that surface you'd probably have killed someone once the divots dried out."
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