Seddon Park

Story

Seddon Park is a cricket ground in Hamilton, New Zealand. It is the fourth-largest cricket ground in the country, and is renowned for its village green setting, affording a picnic atmosphere for spectators.Opened in 1950, Seddon Park was named after Richard Seddon, the longest-serving Prime Minister of New Zealand. Due to sponsorship from Trust Bank and subsequently Westpac, the ground was known as Trust Bank Park from 1990 to 1997, as WestpacTrust Park from 1997 to 2003, and as Westpac Park from 2003 to 2006. It reverted to its original name in 2006, when Westpac decided to end its sponsorship of a number of sporting events and grounds in New Zealand.GroundSeddon Park is a round, well-grassed ground with a centre block of nine pitches, running approximately north to south. These pitches are usually very good for batting. There is an embankment going around three-quarters of the perimeter, with a tall hedgerow outside this embankment.In addition to cricket, Seddon Park has been used for rugby union, rugby league and hockey matches. It therefore has a flexible stadium environment that can be modified accordingly.Usage and StatisticsSeddon Park has been used for first-class cricket since the 1956–57 season, coinciding with the formation of the Northern Districts Cricket Association.