Seddon Park is New Zealand’s fourth-largest cricket ground located in Hamilton.
Established in 1950, Seddon Park is named after Richard Seddon, the longest-serving Prime Minister of New Zealand.
Located close to the centre of Hamilton, the cricket venue is famous for its village green-style setting, affording a picnic atmosphere for spectators.
Apart from cricket, the stadium has been used for rugby union, rugby league and hockey matches.
Seddon Park hosted its first international cricket match, a One-Day International (ODI) played between hosts New Zealand and India in February 1981. New Zealand won the game by 57 runs.
Ten years later, it staged its first Test match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka. The match ended in a draw. Since then, it has hosted more than 20 Tests so far.
Let’s have a look at Seddon Park Test records and stats:
Seddon Park Test records and stats
Highest total
The New Zealand cricket team holds the record for the highest total at Seddon Park in Test cricket. During the first Test of Bangladesh’s tour of New Zealand in 2019, the hosts posted a mammoth total of 715/6d after bundling out the visitors for 234 in their first innings. Captain Kane Williamson led from the front as he slammed an unbeaten 200 off 257 balls, along with contributions from Tom Latham (161), Jeet Raval (132), Colin de Grandhomme (76) and Henry Nicholls (53) to help New Zealand register a record Test total at the venue. The hosts later bowled out Bangladesh for 429 in their second innings to win the Hamilton Test by an innings and 52 runs.
Lowest total
New Zealand registered the lowest total at Seddon Park in Tests. Chasing 127 in the fourth innings, the hosts were skittled out for 93 in 43.3 overs by Pakistan in Hamilton in 1993. Star pacers Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis bagged five wickets each for Pakistan. Andrew Jones top-scored for New Zealand with 19. Put into bat, Pakistan managed 216 in their first innings before bowling out New Zealand for 264. The visitors scored 174 in their second innings to set-up a target of 127. Pakistan won the only Test of the series by 33 runs.
Most runs
New Zealand’s star batter Kane Williamson has scored the most runs at this ground in cricket’s longest format. The right-handed batter has accumulated 1,238 runs in 10 Test matches at a staggering average of 88.42. Williamson has also slammed five hundreds and as many fifties at this venue in Test cricket. His former teammate Ross Taylor is second on the list with 1,104 runs in 13 Test matches at an average of 55.20.
Most wickets
New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee picked up the most wickets at Seddon Park in Test cricket. Between 2010 and 2020, the right-arm pacer bagged 51 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 22.17. He claimed four four-wicket hauls and one fifer at this venue in Tests. Compatriot Neil Wagner features second on the list with 39 wickets in eight Tests.
Highest individual score
Former New Zealand Test captain Kane Williamson registered the highest individual score at Seddon Park in Hamilton. Batting at number three, Kane Williamson scored 251 against West Indies in the first innings of the opening Test in December 2020. His magnificent double century was laced with 34 fours and two sixes to help New Zealand post a huge total of 519/7d. The hosts later bowled out West Indies for 138 and 247 in their two innings to win the Test by an innings and 134 runs.
Best bowling figures in an innings
Former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns recorded the best bowling figures in an innings of a Test at this venue in 1999. The right-arm pacer registered brilliant figures of 7/27 to help bundle out West Indies for 97 in their second innings. Cairns dismissed Adrian Griffith, Sherwin Campbell, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Jimmy Adams, Franklyn Rose, Dinanath Ramnarine and Reon King. New Zealand thrashed West Indies by nine wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. The hosts later clinched the series 2-0.
Best bowling figures in a match
Chris Cairns also holds the record for the best bowling figures in a Test match at Seddon Park. The pacer took 10 wickets during the first Test of West Indies’ tour of New Zealand in 1999. While Cairns took three wickets for 73 runs in the first innings, he scalped seven wickets for 27 runs in the second innings. Cairns’ incredible bowling performance helped New Zealand win the Test by nine wickets.
Highest partnership
New Zealand’s Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum recorded the highest partnership at this ground in Test cricket. Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum forged a massive 339-run stand for the sixth wicket in their first innings of the Only Test against Bangladesh in 2010. Guptill hammered 189 while McCullum slammed 185. New Zealand won the Test by 121 runs.
Photo credit: Alamy
