Bellerive Oval
Encyclopedia
Bellerive Oval, also known as its sponsored name Blundstone Arena, is primarily a cricket
and Australian Rules Football
ground located in Bellerive
, City of Clarence, on the eastern shore of Hobart
, Tasmania
, Australia
. The ground is currently the only venue in Tasmania to host international cricket and has a capacity of approximately 16,000, although a record crowd of 16,719 watched Australia play England in 2003.
It is best known as the home ground for the state cricket
team, the Tasmanian Tigers
, and as a venue for international Test
matches since 1989 and one-day
matches since 1988. Bellerive Oval underwent a $16 million re-development at very start of the 21st century and that was completed at the end of 2002. The re-development includes: state-of-the-art indoor nets, a 6,000 seat Southern Stand that contains the new television media centre, Members Area that features press and radio media areas, as well as corporate boxes and lunchrooms, members bar, TCA offices and a players area.
The ground barely changed from then until the mid '80s. During this time the ground had a hump in the centre of the ground making only the top half of players visible from the other side of the ground. There was a shed for players located where the main pavilion now stands. There was a hill on the outer (where the hill now is) that could accommodate two rows of vehicles, the small scoreboard stood on the outer close to where the electronic scoreboard is now, and the time clock sat about halfway up a training light tower. The police booth sat, until very recently, in the north-east corner of the oval. A concrete cricket pitch served for local junior teams until the 1956/57 season, when it was replaced by a turf wicket.
In 1948 The Clarence Football Club
, a tenant of the ground, applied to join the Tasmanian Football League
, and the ground had to upgrade to TFL standards.
Some minor upgrades were made in the 1960s, clubrooms were built in 1961, and in 1963 a small grandstand (seating about 500) and a new PA system were installed.
In 1977, Tasmania gained admission into the Sheffield Shield and a plan was put in place by the TCA to move from its headquarters at the TCA Ground on the Domain to a new oval. Bellerive Oval was chosen ahead of KGV Oval
and North Hobart Oval
. $2,200,000 was spent building new grandstands, training nets, a hill, new surface and centre wicket, the old TCA Ground scoreboard was relocated there, and the masterpiece - the three level Members' Pavilion was constructed.
The newly refurbished ground was opened in 1986 for a TFL Statewide League
roster match between Clarence and Hobart, 3,562-people attended the match which saw a Clarence victory. However, significant damage to the newly laid turf which saw an enormous amounts of divets in the playing surface, no more football matches were scheduled at the ground for the remainder of the 1986 TFL season.
The move was made in 1987 under TCA Chairman Denis Rogers, in time for its first international match - between Sri Lanka
and New Zealand
on 12 January 1988, before a crowd of 6,500.
The first Test match in Tasmania was played at Bellerive from the 16th-20 December 1989, between Australia
and Sri Lanka
. Shortly afterwards, the new electronic scoreboard and Northern Stand was erected.
In 2007, Bellerive Oval was the ground at which the Tasmanian Tigers
won their inaugural Pura Cup
. And in 2008 the ground hosted its first Ford Ranger Cup final, after the Tigers
finished on top of the table. Tasmania defeated Victoria by 1 wicket.
The oval became the first major cricket facility in Australia to sign a naming rights sponsor in October 2011. An agreement with Blundstone Footwear
would see the venue called Blundstone Arena.
and entry gates. The Members' Area features press and radio media areas, corporate boxes and lunchrooms, as well as the players areas, member's bars and TCA offices. The redevelopment was officially opened on 11 January 2003, when an overcrowd of 16,719 (official capacity 16000) witnessed a thrilling one day match between Australia and the old foes England, with Australia winning in a thriller. Tasmanian Tiger
Shane Watson
became the hero for Australia, bowling the very tense final over.
Nowadays the spacious hill is the most popular seating areas in the ground, mainly because usually it's one of the cheapest areas. The Southern Stand is the most expensive stand to sit in.
To allow for day night matches to be played at the venue, four light towers were installed in 2009 at a cost of A$
4.8 million. This development enhances the venue's suitability to continue hosting international one-day and Twenty20 matches. The installation of these lights sparked significant debate from groups both for and against the new towers.
in the now Tasmanian State League
, Bellerive Oval served in 2003 as a home to the Tasmanian Devils
in the VFL
. The first match attracted the highest VFL roster match crowd since 1986 - 6,970. The venue also hosted Tasmania's two finals matches, with the elimination win against Geelong
(4,800) and the massive 10,073 for the semi final against Port Melbourne
, which the Devils lost after squandering a 23 point lead at three quarter time.
The record attendance for Bellerive Oval is 16,719 for a One Day International between Australia and England on 14 January 2003. The first international match at the venue was again a One Day International between New Zealand and Sri Lanka on 12 January 1988 and attracted a then record crowd for an international in Hobart of 6,180.
On 21 February 2010, a Twenty20
International match between Australia and the West Indies attracted a crowd of 15,575. This was the first international day-night cricket match played at Bellerive Oval.
(AFL) clubs shifting home games to Bellerive Oval surfaced. Richmond
were considered the early front-runners, but by July 2010 North Melbourne
became the most likely candidate, given their willingness to move more than just two matches. On 7 June 2011, the North Melbourne Football Club announced a new three year deal in partnership with transport company TT-Line Company, who announced its intent to sponsor North Melbourne home games in Hobart, at Bellerive Oval. From 2012, North Melbourne will play two home games per year at the venue.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
and Australian Rules Football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
ground located in Bellerive
Bellerive, Tasmania
Bellerive is a suburb of the City of Clarence, part of the greater Hobart area, Tasmania, Australia. It stretches from Kangaroo Bay where it borders Rosny Park, around the curved shoreline of Bellerive Esplanade to Kangaroo Bluff, then down to Bellerive Beach and east to Second Bluff, where...
, City of Clarence, on the eastern shore of Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The ground is currently the only venue in Tasmania to host international cricket and has a capacity of approximately 16,000, although a record crowd of 16,719 watched Australia play England in 2003.
It is best known as the home ground for the state cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
team, the Tasmanian Tigers
Tasmanian Tigers
The Tasmanian cricket team, nicknamed the Tigers, represents the Australian state of Tasmania in cricket tournaments. They compete annually in the Australian domestic senior men's cricket season, which currently consists of the first-class Sheffield Shield, the limited overs Ford Ranger Cup, and...
, and as a venue for international Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
matches since 1989 and one-day
One-day cricket
Limited overs cricket, also known as one-day cricket and in a slightly different context as List A cricket, is a version of the sport of cricket in which a match is generally completed in one day, whereas Test and first-class matches can take up to five days to complete...
matches since 1988. Bellerive Oval underwent a $16 million re-development at very start of the 21st century and that was completed at the end of 2002. The re-development includes: state-of-the-art indoor nets, a 6,000 seat Southern Stand that contains the new television media centre, Members Area that features press and radio media areas, as well as corporate boxes and lunchrooms, members bar, TCA offices and a players area.
History
Football and cricket first started being played in the area where Bellerive Oval is now in the mid-to-late 19th century. In 1884 the first football match on record from the area was played between Carlton and Bellerive. In 1913 the piece of land located between the now Beach, Church and Derwent streets was sold to the Clarence council. 1 year later, the new Bellerive recreation ground was ready for use.The ground barely changed from then until the mid '80s. During this time the ground had a hump in the centre of the ground making only the top half of players visible from the other side of the ground. There was a shed for players located where the main pavilion now stands. There was a hill on the outer (where the hill now is) that could accommodate two rows of vehicles, the small scoreboard stood on the outer close to where the electronic scoreboard is now, and the time clock sat about halfway up a training light tower. The police booth sat, until very recently, in the north-east corner of the oval. A concrete cricket pitch served for local junior teams until the 1956/57 season, when it was replaced by a turf wicket.
In 1948 The Clarence Football Club
Clarence Football Club
The Clarence Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos , is an Australian rules football club playing in the Tasmanian State League, based in Bellerive, Tasmania.Before 1903, they existed as Bellerive Football Club....
, a tenant of the ground, applied to join the Tasmanian Football League
Tasmanian Football League
Tasmanian State League is the highest ranked Australian rules football league in Tasmania, Australia.The league has a long and convoluted history which dates back to its founding on 12 June 1879 Tasmanian State League (TSL) (formerly known as the Tasmanian Football League (TFL), Tasmanian...
, and the ground had to upgrade to TFL standards.
Some minor upgrades were made in the 1960s, clubrooms were built in 1961, and in 1963 a small grandstand (seating about 500) and a new PA system were installed.
In 1977, Tasmania gained admission into the Sheffield Shield and a plan was put in place by the TCA to move from its headquarters at the TCA Ground on the Domain to a new oval. Bellerive Oval was chosen ahead of KGV Oval
KGV Oval
The KGV Oval is the home headquarters of the Glenorchy football and cricket clubs, as well as the Southern Football LeagueThe ground is a former TFL and now Tasmanian State League and also a Southern Football League finals venue....
and North Hobart Oval
North Hobart Oval
North Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
. $2,200,000 was spent building new grandstands, training nets, a hill, new surface and centre wicket, the old TCA Ground scoreboard was relocated there, and the masterpiece - the three level Members' Pavilion was constructed.
The newly refurbished ground was opened in 1986 for a TFL Statewide League
Tasmanian Football League
Tasmanian State League is the highest ranked Australian rules football league in Tasmania, Australia.The league has a long and convoluted history which dates back to its founding on 12 June 1879 Tasmanian State League (TSL) (formerly known as the Tasmanian Football League (TFL), Tasmanian...
roster match between Clarence and Hobart, 3,562-people attended the match which saw a Clarence victory. However, significant damage to the newly laid turf which saw an enormous amounts of divets in the playing surface, no more football matches were scheduled at the ground for the remainder of the 1986 TFL season.
The move was made in 1987 under TCA Chairman Denis Rogers, in time for its first international match - between Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan cricket team
The Sri Lankan cricket team is the national cricket team of Sri Lanka. The team first played international cricket in 1926–27, and were later awarded Test status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka the eighth Test cricket playing nation...
and New Zealand
New Zealand cricket team
The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
on 12 January 1988, before a crowd of 6,500.
The first Test match in Tasmania was played at Bellerive from the 16th-20 December 1989, between Australia
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
and Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan cricket team
The Sri Lankan cricket team is the national cricket team of Sri Lanka. The team first played international cricket in 1926–27, and were later awarded Test status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka the eighth Test cricket playing nation...
. Shortly afterwards, the new electronic scoreboard and Northern Stand was erected.
In 2007, Bellerive Oval was the ground at which the Tasmanian Tigers
Tasmanian Tigers
The Tasmanian cricket team, nicknamed the Tigers, represents the Australian state of Tasmania in cricket tournaments. They compete annually in the Australian domestic senior men's cricket season, which currently consists of the first-class Sheffield Shield, the limited overs Ford Ranger Cup, and...
won their inaugural Pura Cup
Pura Cup
The Sheffield Shield is the domestic cricket competition of Australia. The tournament is contested between teams from the six states of Australia. Prior to the Shield being established, a number of intercolonial matches were played. The Shield, donated by Lord Sheffield, was first contested during...
. And in 2008 the ground hosted its first Ford Ranger Cup final, after the Tigers
Tasmanian Tigers
The Tasmanian cricket team, nicknamed the Tigers, represents the Australian state of Tasmania in cricket tournaments. They compete annually in the Australian domestic senior men's cricket season, which currently consists of the first-class Sheffield Shield, the limited overs Ford Ranger Cup, and...
finished on top of the table. Tasmania defeated Victoria by 1 wicket.
The oval became the first major cricket facility in Australia to sign a naming rights sponsor in October 2011. An agreement with Blundstone Footwear
Blundstone Footwear
Blundstone Footwear is an Australian footwear manufacturer, based in Hobart, Tasmania. The company's best-known product is its line of laceless, elastic-sided, ankle-length boots...
would see the venue called Blundstone Arena.
Structures and Facilities
In 1999 came the announcement that the Federal Government would give $5 million dollars to the upgrading of Bellerive. The TCA added an extra $10 million to upgrade on loan from the state government, and the Clarence City Council an extra 1 million dollars for a $16 million upgrade. The first part of this upgrade was the state-of-the-art indoor nets. The 6,000 seater Southern Stand came next, which blocked winds and views of the Derwent, and contained the new media centre. The new Members' Area was the last of the upgrades, along with new perimeter fencePerimeter fence
A perimeter fence is a structure that circles the perimeter of an area to prevent access. These fences are frequently made out of single vertical metal bars connected at the top and bottom with a horizontal bar. They often have spikes on the top to prevent climbing. Residential perimeter fences are...
and entry gates. The Members' Area features press and radio media areas, corporate boxes and lunchrooms, as well as the players areas, member's bars and TCA offices. The redevelopment was officially opened on 11 January 2003, when an overcrowd of 16,719 (official capacity 16000) witnessed a thrilling one day match between Australia and the old foes England, with Australia winning in a thriller. Tasmanian Tiger
Tasmanian Tigers
The Tasmanian cricket team, nicknamed the Tigers, represents the Australian state of Tasmania in cricket tournaments. They compete annually in the Australian domestic senior men's cricket season, which currently consists of the first-class Sheffield Shield, the limited overs Ford Ranger Cup, and...
Shane Watson
Shane Watson
Shane Robert Watson is an Australian cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-handed fast medium bowler. He mainly bats as an opener in international cricket, although he does not do so domestically....
became the hero for Australia, bowling the very tense final over.
Nowadays the spacious hill is the most popular seating areas in the ground, mainly because usually it's one of the cheapest areas. The Southern Stand is the most expensive stand to sit in.
To allow for day night matches to be played at the venue, four light towers were installed in 2009 at a cost of A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
4.8 million. This development enhances the venue's suitability to continue hosting international one-day and Twenty20 matches. The installation of these lights sparked significant debate from groups both for and against the new towers.
Events
As well as being the home of domestic and international cricket and the Clarence Football ClubClarence Football Club
The Clarence Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos , is an Australian rules football club playing in the Tasmanian State League, based in Bellerive, Tasmania.Before 1903, they existed as Bellerive Football Club....
in the now Tasmanian State League
Tasmanian Football League
Tasmanian State League is the highest ranked Australian rules football league in Tasmania, Australia.The league has a long and convoluted history which dates back to its founding on 12 June 1879 Tasmanian State League (TSL) (formerly known as the Tasmanian Football League (TFL), Tasmanian...
, Bellerive Oval served in 2003 as a home to the Tasmanian Devils
Tasmanian Devils Football Club
Tasmania Football Club, nicknamed The Devils, was an Australian rules football club which competed in the Victorian Football League in Australia. Formed in 2001, it was the youngest and the only non-Victorian club in the league. The club was based in the state of Tasmania at Bellerive Oval and was...
in the VFL
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
. The first match attracted the highest VFL roster match crowd since 1986 - 6,970. The venue also hosted Tasmania's two finals matches, with the elimination win against Geelong
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
(4,800) and the massive 10,073 for the semi final against Port Melbourne
Port Melbourne Football Club
The Port Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Borough, is an Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Port Melbourne and is currently playing in the Victorian Football League ....
, which the Devils lost after squandering a 23 point lead at three quarter time.
Crowds
On 21 February 2010, a Twenty20
Twenty20
Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
International match between Australia and the West Indies attracted a crowd of 15,575. This was the first international day-night cricket match played at Bellerive Oval.
| Season | Format | Teams | Crowd |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002/03 | ODI | Australia v England | 16,719 |
| 2006/07 | ODI | Australia v New Zealand | 15,690 |
| 2008/09 | ODI | Australia v South Africa | 15,671 |
| 2009/10 | T20I | Australia v West Indies | 15,575 |
| 2004/05 | ODI | Australia v Pakistan | 15,503 |
| 2010/11 | ODI | Australia v England | 15,125 |
Transport
Metro buses are available to and from Bellerive Oval and there are also Ferry Services from Hobart City to Bellerive Wharf.AFL matches
In 2010, talk of Melbourne-based Australian Football LeagueAustralian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(AFL) clubs shifting home games to Bellerive Oval surfaced. Richmond
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
were considered the early front-runners, but by July 2010 North Melbourne
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
became the most likely candidate, given their willingness to move more than just two matches. On 7 June 2011, the North Melbourne Football Club announced a new three year deal in partnership with transport company TT-Line Company, who announced its intent to sponsor North Melbourne home games in Hobart, at Bellerive Oval. From 2012, North Melbourne will play two home games per year at the venue.