The 11th edition of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL 2025-26) has begun, and 8 teams with several big names in women’s cricket will feature in this competition. Melbourne Renegades beat Brisbane Heat to win the last edition and will put their title on the line. A total of 43 games will be played between November 9 and December 13.
These matches will be played across 8 different venues across Australia. One of those venues is North Sydney Oval in Sydney. This venue is used frequently to host matches in women’s cricket, both internationally and at the domestic level. This venue will host six games in the WBBL 2025-26. It is a great venue to host cricket matches, especially at a high-profile stage like WBBL.Here we will discuss briefly the pitch report and playing conditions for North Sydney Oval.
North Sydney Oval Pitch Report – Batting or Bowling Pitch?
North Sydney Oval has a history of over a century, as it was built back in 1894 and is also known as Bear Park. It is owned and operated by North Sydney Council. Apart from cricket, this venue is also used for other sports like Australian rules football, rugby, and soccer. It has a seating capacity of 20000 at once.
This venue uses a drop-in wicket, which makes it a multi-sports venue. Cricket is played generally during summers, while the other sports, like soccer and rugby, are played in winters.North Sydney Oval doesn’t have a traditional wicket, and drop-in surfaces are generally firm and bouncy. But it depends on the curator, on whether they want to prepare bowling-friendly or batting-friendly conditions. But as seen in the matches played here, it has a good batting record.
North Sydney Oval Pitch Report – Fast Bowlers or Spinners Pitch?
The drop-in wicket always comes with some grass on the top to keep the surface firm. It also produces good bounce and pace for the fast bowlers. The new ball will get a good swing as well, which makes it a decent bowling track. Fast bowlers will like bowling here.
But there will be some help for the spinners in the lateral part of the game. The wicket might slow down a bit, and there will be some grip. This venue will host games at different start times. Bowling at death will be a key here; using slower ones and changeups can help for the fast bowlers.
Accessing big boundaries will be another area to exploit for the bowlers. Overall, this venue has hosted 12 T20s as recorded. 4 matches have been won batting first, while the other 8 games have been won by the chasing side. It has a first-inning average score of 151, which is considered pretty good in women’s T20 cricket, because this venue is used mostly for women’s matches.
North Sydney Oval – WBBL Records
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Total Matches | 58 (2016–2024) |
| Matches won batting first | 35 |
| Matches won bowling first | 21 |
| Average 1st innings score | 156–160 (approx. 23.37 avg × 8.5 RPO) |
| Average 2nd innings score | 130–135 (approx. 21.60 avg × 7.55 RPO) |
| Highest total recorded | 199/4 (Melbourne Stars Women, 2024) |
| Lowest total recorded | 87/10 (Hobart Hurricanes Women, 2018) |
| Highest score chased | 176/5 (Sydney Thunder Women, 2023) |
| Lowest score defended | 126/7 (Adelaide Strikers Women, 2021) |
| Best batting side record | Sydney Sixers – 4,388 runs at 23.59 average |
| Most successful team | Sydney Thunder (W/L ratio 1.428) |
| Average run rate | 7.74 RPO |
| Best bowling performance (ground overall) | 4/9 – Dane van Niekerk (Sixers Women) |
| Toss impact | Teams winning toss: 29 wins, 27 losses |
| Batting first advantage | Strong – 35 wins vs 21 losses |
| Recent season (2024/25) | 5 matches – All 5 won by teams batting first |
| Avg 1st innings score (2024/25) | 172–175 |
| Avg 2nd innings score (2024/25) | 120–125 |
| Highest total (2024/25) | 195/4 (Melbourne Stars Women) |
| Lowest total (2024/25) | 113/8 (Hobart Hurricanes Women) |
North Sydney Oval – Test Records
| Category | Details |
| Total Matches | 3 |
| Matches won batting first | 0 |
| Matches won bowling first | 1 |
| Average 1st innings Score | 242 |
| Average 2nd innings Score | 337 |
| Average 3rd innings Score | 144 |
| Average 4th innings Score | 83 |
| Highest total recorded | 448/9 (166 Ovs) By AUSW vs ENGW |
| Lowest total recorded | 115/10 (102.2 Ovs) By ENGW vs AUSW |
| Highest score chased | N/A |
| Lowest score defended | N/A |
North Sydney Oval – ODI Records
| Category | Details |
| Total Matches | 21 |
| Matches won batting first | 9 |
| Matches won bowling first | 12 |
| Average 1st innings Score | 194 |
| Average 2nd innings Score | 163 |
| Highest total recorded | 336/9 (50 Ovs) By AUSW vs PAKW |
| Lowest total recorded | 78/10 (39.5 Ovs) By PAKW vs ENGW |
| Highest score chased | 289/6 (46.4 Ovs) By AUSW vs NZW |
| Lowest score defended | 205/10 (48 Ovs) By NZW vs AUSW |
North Sydney Oval – T20I Records
| Category | Details |
| Total Matches | 12 |
| Matches won batting first | 4 |
| Matches won bowling first | 8 |
| Average 1st innings Score | 151 |
| Average 2nd innings Score | 133 |
| Highest total recorded | 226/2 (20 Ovs) By AUSW vs SLW |
| Lowest total recorded | 69/10 (17.1 Ovs) By NZW vs AUSW |
| Highest score chased | 213/3 (19.5 Ovs) By WIW vs AUSW |
| Lowest score defended | 134/8 (20 Ovs) By AUSW vs NZW |
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FAQ:
Is North Sydney Oval Batting or Bowling Friendly?
Looking at the characteristics of this venue, it is considered a good batting venue when it comes to T20 cricket. It has a drop-in wicket, which will produce the ball to get a good bounce, and batters can use that for shot-making. The outfield is also fast. Meanwhile, fast bowlers will be more effective here.
What is the average score at North Sydney Oval?
North Sydney Oval is used prominently to host women’s T20 games at international or domestic levels. It has hosted 12 T20 games so far. The team batting first has won four games, and 8 matches have ended in favor of the chasing side. This venue has the average score of 151 in T20s.
What are the boundary dimensions at North Sydney Oval Stadium?
North Sydney Oval in Sydney is not a small venue. It offers decent-size boundaries across the ground. The square boundaries are of size 64-66 meters, while the straight boundaries can range up to 75-82 meters.
