Derwent Street,
Bellerive, TAS, 7018
(Phone: +61 3 6211 4000)
Capacity 16200
Playing area 175.0m long, 135.5m wide
Floodlights No
End names Church Street End, River End
Home team(s) Tasmania
Other sports Australian Rules (Clarence 'Roos [SFL], Tasmanian Devils [VFL])
Curator Marcus Pamplin
Current local time 14:00, Fri Aug 22, 2008 (UTC +1000)
External links Weather
The headquarters of Tasmanian cricket relocated from the old TCA ground on Hobart's Queen's Domain to the scenic Bellerive Oval on the eastern shore of the Derwent River in 1987. The former community-based sports field has been progressively upgraded since with a major redevelopment completed during 2000-02. The venue consists of three principal stands - the Southern Stand (capacity 5800) and the Members and Players Pavilions; there are two smaller stands and a traditional hill on the eastern boundary which collectively contribute to a capacity crowd of 16,000. The dimensions of the playing surface are 175m x 135m - slightly longer but somewhat narrower than the MCG.
Turf wickets were first laid at Bellerive in 1957 and since then the arena has undergone a significant enhancement with the removal of a noticeable camber and leveling of the oval. The ten-strip centre wicket area consists of couch grass, which has been successfully propagated in the colder southern climate, and English rye in the perimeter pitches. Traditionally, the Bellerive wicket has provided bowlers with early movement, but the pitch tends to become a batting paradise as the match progresses, and the ground is influenced by afternoon sea-breezes off the Derwent River. Tasmania's first Test, between Australia and Sri Lanka, was played here in 1989.
