We also profile two of the big names of world cricket who return to the Bay Oval at the tail end of the season. Australia Women will play their ninth encounter at Blake Park, while Pakistan will square off with the Black Caps in a T20I doubleheader.
 
Both Otago Major Association teams visited the Bay Oval on the 25th of January 2025 for a leg of the Dream11 Super Smash against the Northern Districts Brave.
 
The Otago Sparks won the toss in the day's first back-to-back game and asked the Brave Women to bat first. Caitlin Surrey top-scored with a hard-fought 39 as the South Island visitors restricted the hosts to 127 for the loss of eight wickets.
 
Otago wasted little time exerting their authority in the match before coasting to a six wicket victory. Hayley Jensen was the best of the visitors reply with 49 not out. 
 
The encounter featured the appearance of one of the world’s best women’s players, Sri Lankan Chamari Atapatu, who was enjoying another stint as a guest player with the Brave. She showcased her skills with two wickets at a cost of 17 runs.
 
Northern Districts Men’s won the toss and inserted the visitors. Jamal Todd anchored his side's turn at bat with 75 runs as the Brave bowled the Volts out for 143. The wickets were shared around, with Katene Clarke returning his side's best figures of 2/22.
 
Former Auckland player, Robbie O'Donnell, took charge, hitting 39 off 32 balls while Bay of Plenty representative Ben Pomare chipped in with 29 runs, in their team's four wicket win.
 
The Bay Oval team will now have some time to catch their breath before the Australian Women and Pakistan Men play a T20I doubleheader with their New Zealand Cricket counterparts on Sunday, 23rd March 2025.
 
Pakistan will return on the 5th of April 2025 to round out the international season with a One-Day International against our Black Caps.
 
This will be the third visit by Pakistan to the Western Bay of Plenty international cricket venue. 
 
The Asian visitors made a successful hit-and-run T20 International raid on the 28th January 2018, when they beat New Zealand by 18 runs. Batting first, the visitors posted a solid score of 181 for the loss of six wickets. 
Pakistan pressured the Black Cap batting attack from the start and were rewarded when they restricted New Zealand to 163/6 to claim match honours in the third match of the ODI series.
 
Two years later, in December 2020, Pakistan were back in Mount Maunganui for just the second test match at the Bay Oval. While the match record card will show that the Black Caps won by 101 runs, Fawad Alam's name is written on the Bay Oval Honours Board after crafting 102 runs in his side's second innings.
 
Australian Women's sides have made three trips to the Bay Oval, which has resulted in seven wins to the visitors from across the ditch, from eight encounters.
 
While the White Ferns emerged triumphant from the first ODI in February 2016, they lost the next two by eight and six wickets, respectively.
 
Just thirteen months later, the Aussie Women's Raiders were back where the New Zealand Women posted 253/8 and 270/9, but were unable to contain the Australian reply.
 
The news for White Ferns fans didn't get any better in April 2021 with Australia earning a trifecta of victories.
 
Three Bay Oval centuries struck by Australian legend, Meg Lanning, adorn the Bay Oval Honours Board. The 2016 series saw Meg belt back-to-back centuries of 114no and 127 in the second and third matches.
 
The two ODI's in 2017 resulted in a third three-figure total with Lanning 104 not out in her team's five wicket victory.
 
Aussie bowler Jess Jonassen provided a fourth Australian Women's Bay Oval honours entry after she took five wickets at a cost of 50 runs, on the 2016/17 Australian tour. You can view the full Bay Oval Honours Board here.
 

Dream 11 Super Smash Matches

 

North Districts v Otago Double Header

25 January 2025
ND Brave Women 127/8 (Caitlin Gurrey 39) lost to Otago Sparks 128/4 (Hayley Jensen 49no; Chamari Atupatu 2/17)
Otago Volts 143 (Jamal Todd 75) lost to ND Brave 146/6 (Robbie O’Donnell 39)
 

Upcomimg ICC International Matches

 

Sunday 23 March (Double Header)

White Ferns v Australia Women (T20I) – 2.45pm

Black Caps v Pakistan (T20I) – 7.15pm
 

Saturday 5 April                  

Black Caps v Pakistan (ODI) – 11am