Bangladesh’s tour of New Zealand has reached Nelson, the city that will host the second match of the ODI series on December 20. The Tigers are in a must-win situation after a 44-run defeat in the opening match. To keep their hopes alive for clinching their first-ever ODI series victory in New Zealand, Bangladesh needs a win at Nelson Cricket Stadium. Let’s analyze the crucial aspects of the venue, including the Saxton Oval Nelson pitch report, ODI records at the ground, and the scorecard from the last ODI match.
Saxton Oval is set to host an ODI match after four long years. The last encounter at this venue took place in 2019 when New Zealand and Sri Lanka faced off. With a modest capacity of just 6,000 people, Nelson Cricket Stadium may not rank among the noisiest cricket grounds. Bangladesh has a history at this venue, having played 3 ODIs here. Among these, the Bangla Tigers suffered defeats in two matches against New Zealand in 2016 but secured a victory against Scotland during the 2015 World Cup.
Nelson Stadium ODI Records
Saxton Oval has hosted a total of 11 ODI matches, with the New Zealand participating in 8 of them. The Kiwis have suffered only one defeat at this venue, and that was against Sri Lanka in 2015. Known for its high-scoring encounters, Saxton Oval has proven to be particularly successful for teams batting second.
- Matches Played: 11
- Won by the team batting first: 3
- Won by the team batting second: 7
- Matches Tied/No result: 1
- Biggest score while batting first: New Zealand – 364/4 (50) vs Sri Lanka, 2019
- Lowest score while batting first: Bangladesh – 236/9 (50) vs New Zealand, 2016
- Biggest total chased: Bangladesh chased 322 vs Scotland, 2015
- Lowest Score Defended: New Zealand defended 251 vs Bangladesh, 2016
- Nelson Cricket Stadium average 1st innings score in men’s ODI: 284
- Nelson Cricket Stadium average 2nd innings score in men’s ODI: 242
- Best figures for a Pacer: LH Ferguson (NZ) – 4/40 vs SL, 2019
- Best figures for a Spinner: Kane Williamson (NZ) – 3/22 vs BAN, 2016
- Highest score by a Batter: KJ Coetzer (Scotland) – 156(164) vs BAN, 2015
Saxton Oval Nelson Pitch Report
At Saxton Oval pitch, pacers usually get good pace and bounce which can help create opportunities for them. Although, the ground has a high first-innings average score as the boundaries here are generally smaller. Most of the time score has been chased; so the batting second team may have the upper hand. For that reason, the captain may go to bowl first after winning the toss. Spinners will not get much help from the surface but they will will play their part in the middle overs.
Nelson Weather During NZ vs BAN 2nd ODI
According to AccuWeather, the weather for the upcoming match at Saxton Oval looks pretty good. Expect some clouds, around 50% coverage, but there’s only a slim 3% chance of rain. Daytime temperatures could reach a high of 26 degrees, and it’ll cool down to below 20 in the evening. Overall, it seems like the weather won’t cause any issues for the NZ vs BAN match.
Saxton Oval Nelson Last ODI Match Scorecard
The most recent ODI match at Saxton Oval witnessed New Zealand facing Sri Lanka on January 8, 2019. New Zealand, after being invited to bat first, set an imposing total of 364 runs—the highest score recorded at the venue. In response, the Sri Lankan side was restricted to 249 runs.
| New Zealand: 364-4 (50) | Sri Lanka: 249-10 (41.4) |
| Ross Taylor: 137(131) | Thisara Perera: 80(63) |
| Henry Nicholls: 124*(80) | Niroshan Dickwella: 46(37) |
| Kane Williamson: 55(65) | Kusal Perera: 43(49) |
| Lasith Malinga: 10 – 1 – 93 – 3 | Lockie Ferguson: 8 – 0 – 40 – 4 |
| Lakshan Sandakan: 10 – 0 – 54 – 1 | Ish Sodhi: 8.4 – 0 – 40 – 3 |
| Tim Southee: 7 – 0 – 46 – 1 |