Bay Oval is a cricket ground in Mount Maunganui, Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty area in New Zealand. It was built in Blake Park and opened in 2005.

The first One-Day International at the stadium was played between Canada and the Netherlands as part of the 2014 Cricket World Cup Qualifier. Bay Oval hosted its first Test match in 2019 when England toured New Zealand. 

To date, Bay Oval has hosted four Tests, 11 ODIs, and 12 T20Is. However, here's a closer look at the Test records and stats at the Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui.

Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui Test records and Stats

Most runs

Former New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter BJ Watling holds the record for scoring the most Test runs at Bay Oval. During the England series in 2019, Watling scored 283 runs in three innings at an average of 94.33. The right-handed batter smashed a double hundred and a fifty in the two-match Test series.

His countryman, Tom Blundell, has scored the second-most runs at the venue. Tom Blundell has accumulated 219 runs in three matches.

Most wickets

Kiwi pacer Neil Wagner holds the record for picking the most Test wickets at Bay Oval. In eight innings, the speedster has scalped 21 wickets at an average of 25.52.

New Zealand Test skipper Tim Southee has picked up the second-most wickets at the venue. Southee has taken 14 wickets in four matches.

Highest individual score

BJ Watling also holds the record for the highest individual score in Test cricket at the venue. Watling scored 205 runs off 473 balls against England in the first Test of a two-match series in 2019. New Zealand won this game and his double hundred is the highest score in Tests at the Bay Oval so far.

Best bowling figures

Bangladesh pacer Ebadot Hossain scalped six wickets for 46 runs against hosts New Zealand in January 2022. It is the best bowling figures in an innings by any bowler at this venue and helped Bangladesh win the match. Meanwhile, left-arm pacer Neil Wagner returned with figures of 8/134 against England at Bay Oval in 2019. His match-winning performance is the best bowling figures in a Test match at this venue.

Highest team total

Riding on BJ Watling (205) and Mitchell Santner's (126) match-winning knocks, New Zealand declared after posting a mammoth first innings total of 615 for nine against England in 2019 at Bay Oval. It is the highest team total in Tests at this venue and helped the Kiwis comfortably win the contest.

Lowest team total

In 2023, England bundled out New Zealand for 126 runs in the fourth innings of the first Test of a two-match series. This is the lowest team total in Tests at Bay Oval and helped England win the Test by 267 runs.

Highest partnership

New Zealand’s BJ Watling and Mitchell Santner added 261 runs for the seventh wicket in the first innings of their series opener against England in 2019. This remains the only instance of a batting pair scoring 200 or more Test runs together at the venue. Hosts New Zealand won the match by an innings and 65 runs.

Photo credit: Alamy