Northern District Women lost the toss against their Central Districts counterparts, with the visitors to Blake Park in Mount Maunganui asking the home side to bat.

Caitlin Gurrey and South African-born Bernadine Bezuidenhout opened the ND innings in good style, with a 70-run opening partnership, before Bezuidenhout was run out for 21.

Caitlin Gurrey then took charge of her team's turn at bat, in hammering the Central Districts bowling attack, to all confines of the Bay Oval outfield.

The two-time New Zealand T20 International went on a batting frenzy as she blasted 183 off 154 balls, at a strike rate of 126.21 (per 100 balls).

Her dismissal came with the fifth ball of the 43rd over, with ND at 272/5, before finishing at a massive 318 for the loss of eight wickets. The Gurrey innings contained twenty 4's and seven big shots over the Bay Oval boundary, in her 174 minutes at the crease.

The Northern Districts bowlers then weaved their magic with the ball taking all ten CD wickets, to bowl CD out for 195.

When the dust had settled on Caitlin Gurrey's massive innings, local cricket aficionados, wondered where her big score sat in the Bay Oval historical records.

A perusal of the Bay Oval records revealed that Caitlin sat sixth on the all-time list that encompassed ICC International and NZC Major and Minor Association century lists.

Women’s high honours at the Bay Oval, belong to Australian Women’s super-star Meg Lamming,  who has well and truly stamped her mark in her eight visits to the crease at the Mount Maunganui international ground. A massive 463 runs, including three centuries, at an average of 77.1, testify to the best women’s cricket player on the planet.

The three-match series against the White Ferns in the 2015/16 season, saw Lanning post a modest five runs in her first visit to the Bay Oval, before belting an unbeaten 114 and 127 in her next two turns at bat at Blake Park.
The following season she opened the two-game, fifty over per side encounter Bay Oval series, with 44 runs to her name before belting 104 not out, to give Meg three centuries from her first five visits to the Bay Oval crease.

April 2021, saw a more circumspect Meg Lamming who amassed 69 runs in her three innings to give her an amazing average of just over 71 at the Bay Oval. 

White Fern legend Suzi Bates, owns two Bay Oval three-figure scores, having hammered a 106 against England in the 2014/15 season. The third game of the White Ferns versus Australia Women, in February 2016, saw a century posted in each innings. Bates kicked off proceedings,  with 110 off 133 balls including eleven fours, before Meg Lamming hit her best Bay Oval score of 127 runs.

The opening game of the ICC 2022 Women’s World Cricket Cup, was another Bay Oval match, to produce a ton in each turn at bat. West Indies opener Hayley Mathews threw down the challenge to the tournament hosts, with 119 in 44.3 overs. New Zealand captain Sophie Devine, led the White Ferns big run chase of 260, with 108 at a strike rate of 85.04, however, it was eventually all in vain with the Caribbean team sneaking home by three runs.

The honour of the best at the Bay Oval, belongs to England top order batsmen Alex Lees, who had short five-game sojourn playing for Bay of Plenty in 2017. AZ Lees, smashed 410 runs in just five games in the Bay of Plenty Blue and Gold strip, with a top score of 223 against Counties Manukau in a Hawke Cup Direct Challenge.

Black Caps wicketkeeper BJ Watling, wrote his name into the Bay Oval history forever, when he belted a double century against England in the historic first ever Bay Oval Test match against England, during November 2017.

Watling came in when New Zealand were 127/4 and was dismissed with the Black Caps at 603 for the loss of nine wickets. The Kiwi keeper took a measured approach, as he hit 205 runs off some 473 balls. The inning was notable because of the massive 450 run partnership with Mitchell Santner, who also got a century reaching 126 before being removed.

Two further Bay Oval double centuries, belong to current Northern Brave Joe Carter who belted 215 for Bay of Plenty against Poverty Bay in 2013/14 season - and Central Districts Brad Schmulan, with 203 against Northern Districts in a NZC Major Association fixture.

Two notable age-group centuries, came within weeks of the first game at the Bay Oval in the autumn of 2007. Future ND Women’s representative, Kirby Samkin, belted 151 not out for Tauranga Girls College against Rotorua Girls High School. Just four days later Kane Williamson was in majestic form with 131 for Bay of Plenty Under 19, verses Waikato Valley.

Bay Oval - Women's Centuries

183      CA Gurrey ND Women v CD Women 2022/23
127      MH Lamming Australia v New Zealand 2015/16
119      HK Mathews West Indies v New Zealand 2021/22 WCWC
114no MH Lamming Australia v New Zealand 2015/16
110      SW Bates New Zealand v Australia 2015/16
106      SW Bates New Zealand v England 2014/15
106      SFM Devine New Zealand v West Indies 2021/22 WCWC
104no MH Lamming Australia v New Zealand 2016/17

 

Bay Oval – Highest Scores

223      AZ Lees          (Bay of Plenty v Counties Manukau – NZC Minor Association) 2016/17
215      JF Carter         (Bay of Plenty v Poverty Bay – NZC Minor Association) 2013/14
205      BJ Watling      (New Zealand v England – ICC Test Match) 2019/20
203      BD Schmulan (Central Districts v Northern Districts – NZC Major Association) 
185      IG Butler         (Counties Manukau v Bay of Plenty – NZC Minor Association) 2007/08
183      CA Gurrey      (ND Women v CD Women – NZC Major Association) 2022/23