Gardens Oval
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox cricket ground
| ground_name = Gardens Oval
| nickname =
| country = Australia
| image = File:Gardens Oval in 1972.jpg
| caption = Gardens Oval in 1972
| location = Darwin, Australia
| establishment = 2002 (first recorded match)
| seating_capacity = Unknown
| end1 =
| end2 =
| international = true
| firstwodidate = 21 July
| firstwodiyear = 2007
| firstwodihome = Australia
| firstwodiaway = New Zealand
| lastwodidate = 29 July
| lastwodiyear = 2007
| lastwodihome = Australia
| lastwodiaway = New Zealand
| onlywt20idate = 19 July
| onlywt20iyear = 2007
| onlywt20ihome = Australia
| onlywt20iaway = New Zealand
| date = 7 September
| year = 2020
| source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/2/73.html Ground profile
|year1 = 1954-
|club2 = AFL Northern Territory / NTFL
|year2 = 1954-1990
|club3 = NT Thunder (NEAFL)
|year3 = 2010
}}
Gardens Oval (originally the Botanical Gardens Oval) is an Australian Football oval and cricket ground complex in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. The complex has two ovals, the main one has spectator facilities including covered grandstands. Gardens No.1 Oval was the home of Northern Territory Football League prior to the opening of Marrara Oval. It is currently home to the Waratah Football Club which plays in the Northern Territory Football League competition.
History
Australian rules football has been played on the ground since the 1950s[https://www.ntnews.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=NTWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ntnews.com.au%2Fsport%2Flocal-afl%2Fplayers-fans-rejoice-as-gardens-oval-lights-set-to-switch-on-ahead-of-historic-friday-night-clash%2Fnews-story%2F93c29b3787982db442ff5d855dde2119 NT News]{{dead link|date=December 2022}} the ground was being prepared as a purpose built venue for the sport as early as 1950 as a replacement for the ailing Darwin Oval.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49477892 |title=ATTENTION SPORTSMEN TOWN BOARD TO ACT ON PLAYING FIELDS |newspaper=Northern Standard |volume=5 |issue=223 |location=Northern Territory, Australia |date=8 September 1950 |access-date=23 November 2022 |page=9 |via=National Library of Australia}}
Soccer and rugby league were regularly played on the Oval from 1953.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49484774 |title=GARDENS OVAL FOR SOCCER GAMES |newspaper=Northern Standard |volume=8 |issue=26 |location=Northern Territory, Australia |date=25 June 1953 |accessdate=23 November 2022 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49485597 |title=Rugby League Starts On Sunday |newspaper=Northern Standard |volume=8 |issue=47 |location=Northern Territory, Australia |date=19 November 1953 |accessdate=23 November 2022 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}
The first recorded cricket match on the ground came in 2002 when Northern Territory played Queensland Academy of Sport.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/2/73_misc.html|title=Other matches played on Gardens Oval, Darwin|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=20 October 2011}} The ground held its only first-class match in 2006 when the touring Indians against New Zealand Whites.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/2/73_f.html|title=First-Class Matches played on Gardens Oval, Darwin|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=21 October 2011}} In 2007, the ground played to four matches in the World Cricket League Division Three, a tournament for Associate members of the International Cricket Council. The ground also held five Women's One Day Internationals between Australia Women and New Zealand Women in 2007, as well as a single Women's Twenty20 International between the same sides as part of the same series.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/2/73_witt.html|title=Women's International Twenty-20 Matches played on Gardens Oval, Darwin|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=21 October 2011}}
In the early 1980s the NTFL played games against AFL teams as preseason warm up games. These games were the brain child of Kevin Sheedy the coach of Essendon AFL. These games played on Australian day each year lead to many indigenous players recruited to the AFL such as Michael Long.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/ground/56392.html Gardens Oval] at ESPNcricinfo
- [https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/2/73.html Gardens Oval] at CricketArchive
{{Darwin, Northern Territory landmarks}}
{{coord|12|26|46.78|S|130|50|03.22|E|type:landmark_scale:2000_region:NL|display=title}}
Category:2002 establishments in Australia
Category:Sports venues completed in 2002