The Basin Reserve, also known as the Cello Basin Reserve for sponsorship reasons,[1] and commonly referred to as the Basin, is a cricket ground in Wellington, New Zealand. It is used for Test matches, and is the main home ground of the Wellington Firebirdsfirst-class team. The Basin Reserve is the only cricket ground to have listed status with Heritage New Zealand, in recognition of being the oldest first-class cricket ground in the country.[2] Historically, the ground has also been used for events other than cricket, such as association football matches, concerts and cultural events.
The New Zealand Cricket Museum is located in the Old Grandstand. It houses cricket memorabilia and a reference library. It opened in 1987, and was relaunched in 2021.[3][4][5]
Location
The Basin Reserve is two kilometres south of the Wellington CBD at the foot of Mount Victoria. Government House, St Marks Church School, and the Wellington College boys' school are to the south of the Basin, across the street. At the eastern end of the basin is the Mount Victoria Tunnel, which increased the traffic flow around the Basin Reserve when it was built in 1931.
The Basin Reserve is also surrounded by numerous other Wellington landmarks, including Mount Cook Barracks, the National War Memorial, several colleges and high schools, the Caledonian Hotel and the former Dominion Museum. A fire station is located across the street from the ground: traditionally its occupants would watch ongoing matches during their down-time, and would set off the station's siren to mark New Zealand wickets taken or when a batsman reached a milestone like a 50 or century. The Basin Reserve is the intersection point for the Wellington suburbs of Mount Cook, Newtown and Mount Victoria.[6]
Construction history
The area that is now Basin Reserve was originally a lake (known as the Basin Lake), and there were plans to connect it to the sea by a canal to make it an alternative inner city harbour, with major warehouses and factories alongside it. However, the massive 1855 Wairarapa earthquake uplifted the area nearly 1.8m (5.9ft) and turned the lake into a swamp.[7] Due to the colonists' English roots, sport, particularly cricket, was a vital part of the community's way to relax. However, no land had been allocated by the city planners for recreational reserves. Although natural grounds, such as the Te Aro flat, provided a small area for matches, the colonists wanted more recreational land than they had. The matter became dire as buildings began to be erected on these plains, as flat land was hard to find in the mountainous Wellington. So, after the 1855 earthquake, which historians estimate measured magnitude 8,[8] influential citizens seized the chance in 1857 to suggest that the new land be drained and made into a recreational reserve. The Wellington council accepted the proposal and on 3 February 1863 prisoners from the Mount Cook Gaol began to level and drain the new land. The swamp was drained by September and a fence and hedges were placed around the entire area. However, massive population influxes from 1863 to 1866 (caused mostly by the Parliament being situated in Wellington) hampered construction on the Basin Reserve as workers were pulled to other areas.
After a council meeting on 11 December 1866 the Basin Reserve became Wellington's official cricket ground. No cattle or horses were allowed in the ground and only small hedges and shrubs were allowed to be planted so as not to hamper cricket games. Soon after, on 11 January 1868, the first game of cricket was played, although the ground had numerous stones and thistles on it, which the umpire later apologised for as some players got injured from them. Although it was the opening day, no ceremony or music was played, nor was the opening advertised with banners.
Soon after that first event, the Highland Games began to be held at the Basin Reserve. The games were organised by the Wellingtonian Caledonian Society, of which their headquarters, The Caledonian Hotel, still stands towards the south of the Basin Reserve. The society offered up prize money which brought many competitors to the region. Due to their success, the society petitioned to have new grandstands built at the western end of the Basin Reserve. They would measure 44 by 20ft (13.4 by 6.1m) and would cost approximately £250–£300. The stands would also hold food stalls and ground keepers. However, for the following years, even up until reportedly 1872, the Basin Reserve grounds were still extremely swampy, with small pools of swamp water and various weeds and shrubs sprouting over the fields. In late 1872, horses were used to level the playing field and this greatly improved the conditions.
In 1882, the William Wakefield Memorial was erected at the Basin Reserve. The monument had been in storage for many years, and it was finally erected to commemorate one of the city's founders, William Wakefield, at the main sports ground.[9][10]
The pavilion has been a Category II registered Historic Place since 1982,[11] and the entire Basin Reserve has been a registered Historic Area since 1998.[12] The William Wakefield Memorial has a Category I registration.[10]
In 2012 the Museum Stand of the Basin was declared an earthquake risk and closed; a new player's pavilion was opened in December 2018 and renamed in 2020 in honour of the former Test cricketer Ewen Chatfield.[13]
The first event held at the Basin Reserve was a one-day cricket match on 11 January 1868 between the Wellington Volunteers and the crew of HMS Falcon, which was docked in Wellington.[14] However, the match was hampered by injuries due to the numerous stones and thistles in the grass, which led to the injury of some players. The umpire apologised to the players after the match for the poor condition of the playing surface.[15]
After that first event, local clubs and societies began organising athletic and social meetings at the Basin Reserve. These meetings eventually coalesced into a meeting known locally as the Highland Games, and it was their success which led to the construction of the ground's first grandstand. The events included athletics, racing, dancing and later wood-chopping and cycling. However, the ground was still swampy in some areas. This was finally remedied in late 1872, which allowed the ground's inaugural first-class cricket match, between Wellington and Auckland, to be played on 30 November 1873. Wellington won the match easily. The Basin Reserve reputedly held the first rugby football match in the North Island,[8] between a Wellington team and the crew of HMS Rosario, which the sailors won by a single goal.
The Australasian Athletic Championships were held at the Basin Reserve on 26–27 December 1911. This was a combined Australian and New Zealand championship, at which New Zealanders won all the track events and Australians won all the field events.[16]
The main scoreboard: it is named after cricket historian Don Neely
The first Test match played at the ground was between New Zealand and England, the first day of which was 24 January 1930. One-day international cricket was played at the Basin Reserve until 1999, after which it moved to the larger Wellington Regional Stadium on the other side of the Wellington CBD.
On 13 March 2011 the Basin Reserve was host to "Fill the Basin", a cricket event intended to raise money for victims of the 2011 Canterbury earthquake. The event attracted a crowd of more than 10,000 people, with some spectators sitting between the boundary rope and the fence. This is the biggest crowd at the Basin Reserve in the modern era. Players involved in the match included Shane Warne, Stephen Fleming, Tana Umaga, Richard Hadlee, Martin Crowe, other famous former New Zealand cricketers, rugby union players Richie McCaw and Conrad Smith and actors Russell Crowe and Ian McKellen.[18] More than $500,000 was raised towards the relief efforts.[19]
In addition to cricket, other sports have also used the Basin Reserve, including rugby union, rugby league, association football and Australian football matches. During the 1950s and 1960s the ground was the main association football (soccer) venue in the Wellington area, and was used for a number of international matches and Chatham Cup finals.
Statistics
Test matches
There have been 64 Test matches played at the Basin Reserve as of September 2020.[20] The average runs per wicket is 31.42 while the average runs per wicket through New Zealand is 31.27. The average runs per over is 2.85. The ground is more noted as suiting fast bowlers as opposed to spin bowlers. Nine of the top ten wicket takers at the ground are fast bowlers with top wicket taker being Chris Martin with 58[21] although he only has the 13th best bowling average on the ground.[22]
Brendon McCullum has the highest innings, 302, and is the first Black Cap to pass 300 runs in a test. The previous highest score at the ground and for any NZ test cricketer was the 299 runs by Martin Crowe in 1991[23] Almost a year later in 2015, Kumar Sangakkara scored his 12000th test runs and his 11th double century there while McCullum dropped three catches and scored a two-ball duck in the first innings. It is also a ground where Trent Boult made the most of his one-handed catches. One of which was the one that removed Sangakkara in 2015. In the same test, Kane Williamson scored his first test double century, with his 6th wicket partner BJ Watling scoring a century in the second innings. Williamson also contributed on the field to help NZ win the test match. His catch also made the top play on Sports Center in America[24] In 2017, this is also the ground where Henry Nicholls scored his maiden test century. Late in that year, Tom Blundell scored his maiden Test century on debut, then walked home while still in uniform as he lives near the ground.
In ODI cricket, the highest total has been set by New Zealand against Pakistan when they scored 315/7 on 6 January 2018. The most runs scored in this ground have been by Martin Crowe (345 runs), Andrew Jones (311 runs) and Nathan Astle (285 runs). The most wickets have been taken by Danny Morrison-16 wickets, Chris Harris-13 wickets and Gavin Larsen-12 wickets. Despite the propensity to score Test centuries, Basin Reserve is not a ground for scoring ODI centuries. Only 4 had ever been scored. The most recent was by Martin Guptill on 19 January 2018 against Pakistan, 43 years since Bevan Congdon done so. The only away batsman to score an ODI century here was Shoaib Mohammad of Pakistan in 1989.
The New Zealand national cricket team represents New Zealand in men's international cricket. Nicknamed the Black Caps, they played their first Test in 1930 against England in Christchurch, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. From 1930 New Zealand had to wait until 1956, more than 26 years, for its first Test victory, against the West Indies at Eden Park in Auckland. They played their first ODI in the 1972–73 season against Pakistan in Christchurch. New Zealand are the inaugural champions of WTC which they won in 2021 and they have also won ICC CT in 2000. They have played in the CWC final twice and the T20 WC final once.
Martin David Crowe was a New Zealand cricketer, Test and ODI captain as well as a commentator. He played for the New Zealand national cricket team between 1982 and 1995, and is regarded as one of the country's greatest batsmen.
Eden Park is a sports venue in Auckland, New Zealand. It is located three kilometres southwest of the Auckland CBD, on the boundary between the suburbs of Mount Eden and Kingsland. The main stadium has a nominal capacity of 50,000, and is sometimes referred to as New Zealand's national stadium. The stadium is used primarily for rugby union in winter and cricket in summer, and has also hosted rugby league and association football matches, as well as concerts and cultural events. It is owned and operated by the Eden Park Trust Board, whose headquarters are located in the stadium.
Brendon Barrie McCullum is a former New Zealand cricketer and the current head coach of the England cricket team in Test cricket. Representing New Zealand he captained the team in all formats. McCullum was renowned for his quick scoring, notably setting a record for the fastest Test century. He is considered one of New Zealand's most successful batsmen and captains and led the side to the finals of the 2015 Cricket World Cup and 2009 ICC Champions Trophy.
Bradley-John Watling, known as BJ Watling, is a South African-born former New Zealand international cricketer who has represented Northern Districts since December 2004. He made his Test debut in December 2009 and eight months later played his first One Day International. In 2012, Watling assumed the role of wicket-keeper in Tests.
Bruce Donald Morrison is a former New Zealand cricketer who played one Test match in 1963. He bowled right-arm medium pace and was a left-handed tail-end batsman.
McLean Park is a sports ground in Napier, New Zealand. The two main sports played at the ground are cricket and rugby union. It is one of the largest cricket grounds in New Zealand.
An English team raised by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) toured New Zealand between December 1906 and March 1907. The tour comprised two first-class matches against New Zealand, two each against the four main provincial teams – Auckland, Canterbury, Otago and Wellington – and one against Hawke's Bay. There were also five minor matches against teams from country areas.
The New Zealand national cricket team toured Australia in the 1993–94 season to play in three test matches against Australia before playing in a tri-series with South Africa. The tour began on October 19, in Perth, Western Australia, against an Australian Chairman XI as they played in five warm-up matches before the test matches in Perth, Hobart and Brisbane. New Zealand were captained by Martin Crowe while the Australians were captain by Allan Border.
The Hawke's Bay cricket team, representing the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand, played first-class cricket between 1883–84 and 1920–21, and competed in the Plunket Shield in the 1914–15 and 1920–21 seasons. The side has continued to appear in minor cricket and now competes in the Hawke Cup competition.
Donald Owen Neely was a New Zealand cricket historian, administrator and player. He served as president of New Zealand Cricket and wrote or co-wrote over 30 books on New Zealand cricket.
This article describes the history of New Zealand cricket from the 1918–19 season until 1945.
This article describes the history of New Zealand cricket from the 1945–46 season until 1970.
This article describes the history of New Zealand cricket from the 1970–71 season until 2000.
Cricket is the most popular summer sport in New Zealand, second only in total sporting popularity to rugby. New Zealand is one of the twelve countries that take part in Test match cricket.
Hagley Oval is a cricket ground in Hagley Park in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand. The first recorded match on the ground was in 1867, when Canterbury cricket team hosted Otago cricket team. Canterbury used the ground infrequently from then through until the 1920s, but hardly stopped during World War I.
The Australia national cricket team toured New Zealand from February to April 1914 and played eight first-class matches including two against the New Zealand national team. New Zealand at this time had not been elevated to Test status. The tour was organized and captained by Arthur Sims, who had previously represented New Zealand. The tour is notable for the fact that it featured Victor Trumper's final appearance in a first-class match before his death at age 37 in 1915.
Henry Michael Nicholls is a New Zealand cricketer who represents the New Zealand national team and plays for Canterbury in domestic first-class cricket. He has two older brothers, one of whom, Willy Nicholls, is a media correspondent for the Black Caps and White Ferns. He has also been the captain of the reserve A side since 2017. Nicholls was a member of the New Zealand team that won the 2019–2021 ICC World Test Championship.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
New Zealand v 
England 
Australia 
Bangladesh 
