John Davies Oval, also known as the Queenstown Event Centre, is one of the most scenic cricket grounds located in the south of New Zealand.
The ground offers a viewing experience not just limited to cricket. The venue is located between a mountain range, The Remarkables, and Lake Wakatipu. An airport strip is also not far from the ground, making it a unique experience for the spectators.
John Davies Oval is ideal for cricket and is slowly hosting more international matches. Currently, it can hold around 19,000 people at once in the stadium.
It hosted its first international match in 2003 when New Zealand faced India in an ODI contest. India was bundled out for 122 before New Zealand chased it down with seven wickets to spare.
John Davies Oval has also hosted two T20 international (T20I) matches so far with New Zealand women coming on top on both occasions. The venue is yet to host men’s T20 internationals.
That said it has hosted two 20-over women’s games. Here’s a look at the WT20I records at the John Davies Oval in Queenstown.
John Davies Oval, Queenstown WT20I records
Highest team total
New Zealand women’s 155/5 against India in a one-off T20I in February 2022 is the highest team total on the ground. The hosts rode on captain Sophie Devine’s 23-ball 31 and Suzie Bates’s 36 off 34 balls at the top of the order and eventually won the match by 18 runs.
Lowest team total
Chasing a challenging total of 152 put on by New Zealand in December 2022, Bangladesh women never really got going and were restricted to 89/7 in 20 overs. It remains the lowest WT20I score at John Davies Oval.
Most runs
New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine has scored 78 runs at John Davies Oval from two innings, which is the most runs at John Davies Oval in WT20Is. She put on 31 against India in February 2022 and 47 against Bangladesh in December.
Most wickets
Lea Tahuhu, who scalped four wickets in two matches, is the leading wicket-taker in WT20Is at the John Davies Oval. The Kiwi women’s pacer took 3/13 against Bangladesh in December 2022 after finishing with figures of 1/27 against India in February of the same year.
Best bowling figures
Kiwi medium pacer Lea Tahuhu’s 3/13 against Bangladesh women is the best bowling figures in WT20Is at the John Davies Oval. She took the wickets of the top three batters of the Bangladeshi lineup - Murshida Khatun, Fargana Hoque, and Sharmin Akhter - inside the powerplay and helped New Zealand win the match by 63 runs after they had put on 152/7 in 20 overs.
Highest partnership
The opening pair of captain Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates laid down a solid platform for New Zealand women’s cricket team against India in their one-off WT20 match in February 2022. The duo stitched a 60-run stand in 47 balls and helped New Zealand reach 155/5 in their 20 overs. The hosts won the match by 18 runs.
Highest individual score
New Zealand women’s team all-rounder Amelia Kerr struck an unbeaten 48 off 31 balls in their game against Bangladesh in Ferbruary 20222 to lift the Kiwis total to 152/7 after a slow start. The knock was laced with five fours and came at a strike rate of over 150.
Photo Credit: Alamy
