Bellerive Oval (Ninja Stadium), Hobart: WBBL 2026 Venue Guide

Bellerive Oval is the cricket-ground identity in Hobart, while Ninja Stadium is the current naming-rights branding. Cricket Australia lists Bellerive Oval, Blundstone Arena and Ninja Stadium as alternative names, and Cricket Tasmania announced the Ninja partnership in October 2024. The venue is at 15 Derwent Street, Bellerive, and is documented as a home of Tasmanian cricket and the Hobart Hurricanes. 1 2 3 4

For WBBL|12, the official schedule assigns four confirmed regular-season matches to Ninja Stadium, all involving the Hobart Hurricanes Women. They are against the Melbourne Renegades, Adelaide Strikers, Brisbane Heat and Sydney Thunder on 4, 10, 14 and 21 November 2026. No final is assigned to this ground: the season's three finals are standings-dependent. Use the WBBL overview for competition context and the WBBL schedule for the wider fixture list. 5 6

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Photo credit: Bellerive Oval during England v Australia on 11 January 2003. Creator: Wayne McLean (Commons user Jgritz). Capture date: 2003-01-11. Source: Wikimedia Commons photograph. Licence: CC BY 2.0. Changes and archival limitation: Full retrieved source framing retained; EXIF orientation normalized if present, downscaled and re-encoded to WebP. Archival England-Australia match scene; predates later redevelopment and Ninja Stadium naming; not current seating, pitch or configuration proof. CC BY 2.0 applies to these image derivatives; no endorsement implied.

Key Takeaways - Bellerive Oval is the historic ground identity; Ninja Stadium is the current naming-rights brand, with Blundstone Arena a former name. 2 4 - The current official whole-ground or event capacity is 19,500. It is not a verified count of permanent individual seats. 1 2 - The official WBBL|12 schedule lists four regular-season matches at Ninja Stadium, with no conditional final assigned here. 5 6 - Historical venue evidence describes early movement before the wicket becomes more favourable for batting as a match progresses. That is context, not a guarantee for a selected 2026 strip. 1 16 - Ticketek is the authorised ticketing agent, and event-day parking, entry conditions, transport and opening arrangements should be checked again before attending. 7 9 11

Quick facts

The capacity figure needs careful reading. The current official pages describe 19,500 as a capacity crowd or venue capacity contributed by the stands, smaller stand and eastern hill. That supports a whole-ground or event estimate, not a claim that 19,500 permanent seats are installed. Cricinfo preserves older, conflicting values of 15,000 and 16,000, so a fixed-seat count is not supplied here. 1 2 16

History and development

Bellerive Oval opened in 1914 and became the Tasmanian Cricket Association's first-class headquarters from the 1987-88 season. Turf wickets were first laid in 1957. The ground also underwent significant work from 1986 to remove a noticeable camber and level the playing area. 1 16

A major upgrade completed in early 2003 added a 6,000-seat Southern Grandstand, two Members buildings and indoor cricket nets. Light towers followed in 2009. A $34 million redevelopment was completed in 2013, and the Western Stand was formally named the Ricky Ponting Stand at its official launch on 21 January 2015. The venue's history page also identifies the David Boon Stand, Members Pavilion, smaller stand and eastern hill as parts of the ground. 1

The Ninja name is a later commercial identity, not a new ground. Cricket Tasmania announced Ninja as the naming-rights partner on 23 October 2024, linking the partnership with Cricket Tasmania, the Hobart Hurricanes and the Tasmanian Tigers. Cricket Australia's venue information retains Bellerive Oval and lists Blundstone Arena or Ninja Stadium as alternative names. 2 4

The available material does not establish a definitive legal owner or operator, so this guide does not infer one from the naming partnership, Cricket Tasmania connection or the City of Clarence facility listing. The council page instead confirms the public-facing facility identity, address and connection with the Tasmanian Cricket Museum. 3

Dimensions, square and facilities

The best-supported dimensions describe the oval playing surface, not a standard boundary measured from every wicket. Ninja Stadium's official page gives 175m x 135m in its narrative and 175m x 133.5m in its ground-statistics block. Cricinfo gives 175m x 135.5m. Those small differences should be treated as source variation in the playing-surface description. No reliable current boundary-by-wicket map was verified, so these figures should not be used as boundary distances. 1 16

The documented centre area contains ten wicket strips using couch grass, while the perimeter pitches use English rye. The ground has Church Street and River ends, flood or light towers installed in 2009, indoor cricket nets and the named stands and Members Pavilion. The Tasmanian Cricket Museum and Library is in the Members Pavilion. 1 2 10

Visitor-facing guidance supports accessible toilets and seating, wheelchair access, five lifts and companion-ticket pathways. It also identifies water stations at the Western and Northern Gates and a first-aid room near the Western Gate. A player or media room inventory, current seating breakdown and event-specific stadium plan were not verified, so they are not described as fixed facilities here. 2 8

Pitch evidence and current limits

The venue's historical description says the wicket has traditionally offered bowlers early movement before becoming more favourable for batting as a match progresses. It also notes afternoon sea-breezes from the Derwent. Cricinfo repeats the broad couch and English-rye description and the same historical tendency. 1 16

That evidence is useful context, not a fixed tactical rule. It does not guarantee pace, bounce, spin, seam movement, dew or a particular result at Ninja Stadium. No match-specific 2026 wicket inspection, selected-strip report, dew reading or date-specific forecast is verified here. Teams and viewers should wait for the actual strip, toss information and match-day conditions rather than treating the historical description as a promise.

The same caution applies to the dimensions. A 175m oval measurement cannot be converted into a boundary length without knowing the wicket, rope placement and event configuration. There is no verified current boundary-distance table in this guide.

Women’s cricket history at the ground

The women-only evidence available for Bellerive Oval is a selected three-match WBBL sample, not a complete venue database. It shows different match shapes, but it cannot establish all-time venue records or a general batting-first and chasing trend. 17 18 19

On 18 December 2018, in Rebel WBBL|04, Hobart Hurricanes made 7/173 and Perth Scorchers levelled the chase at 173 before winning the Super Over. Heather Graham scored 44 not out from 30 balls, Elyse Villani made 41 from 34 and Nicole Bolton took 3/20. Hobart finished 2/10 in the Super Over. This is a tied full-innings example with a Super Over, not an ordinary successful chase or an all-time total comparison. 17

On 2 November 2023, in WBBL 2023-24 Match 20, Melbourne Stars made 142/8 in 20 overs and Hobart Hurricanes reached 143/4 in 19.2 overs. The Hurricanes won by six wickets with four balls remaining. Meg Lanning made 75 from 50 balls, Nicola Carey was 41 not out from 30 and Shabnim Ismail took 3/34. This is an ordinary successful chase within the selected sample, not a claim about the venue's highest chase. 18

On 1 December 2025, in WBBL 2025-26 Match 32, Hobart Hurricanes made 176/4 from 17 overs and Melbourne Stars made 98 from 15.5 overs. The Hurricanes won by 81 runs via DLS. Danni Wyatt-Hodge made 71 and Molly Strano took 5/16. Because rain reduced the match and DLS changed the target, this example is excluded from ordinary full-innings highest or lowest comparisons. 19

Scoped records and sample boundaries

The table below keeps the dates, formats, gender scope and exclusions visible. It deliberately uses "Not verified" where a complete women-only Bellerive Oval or Ninja Stadium database was not established.

The three examples should therefore be read as match evidence, not a record book. In particular, the 5/16 bowling return occurred in a rain-reduced DLS match, while the 2018 result required a Super Over. The all-time highest and lowest women's T20 totals, highest individual score, best bowling, highest successful chase, total WBBL match count and batting-first versus chasing rate remain unverified in this scope.

Confirmed WBBL|12 schedule at Ninja Stadium (Bellerive Oval)

The official season schedule describes 43 games across 38 days, from 29 October to 5 December 2026. It contains 40 regular-season games and three standings-dependent finals. Ninja Stadium (Bellerive Oval) has four confirmed regular-season assignments below, and no final is allocated to this ground in the checked schedule. 5 6

The fixture list brings Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney opponents to Hobart, while Perth appears in the selected 2018 women’s sample. Those city references identify the listed teams, not a claim about travel conditions, player availability or a venue-specific rivalry. For team context, the WBBL teams page is the appropriate companion, while the WBBL venues page provides broader ground context.

The season-wide broadcast statement says every WBBL|12 match is on Kayo Sports and Foxtel, while 20 regular-season matches and every final are on Seven and 7plus. It does not provide a venue-specific broadcast allocation for each Ninja Stadium fixture, so this guide does not promise a particular channel for a particular match. 5

Team and tactical context

The safest tactical starting point is conditional. The historical venue description points to possible early movement, followed by a surface that may become more favourable for batting, with an afternoon Derwent breeze as part of the ground's traditional context. That does not replace an inspection of the selected wicket, the toss or the weather on the day. 1 16

The four scheduled matches include evening starts on 4 and 10 November, an afternoon start on 14 November and a midday start on 21 November. The time of day alone does not establish a toss, dew or scoring advantage. No venue-specific win rates, player availability, head-to-head record or current pitch report is asserted here. Readers tracking the competition can pair the fixture list with the WBBL points table and current WBBL news, then recheck official match information close to each date.

Weather context: historical note, not a forecast

Bellerive's official historical description mentions afternoon sea-breezes from the Derwent, but that is a venue observation rather than a date-specific weather forecast. No verified forecast for the four future fixture dates, humidity reading, dew measurement or rain outlook is included here. Do not use this page to infer temperatures, precipitation, wind strength or an overnight advantage.

A practical pre-match check should use the official venue event information and the relevant Cricket Australia match centre close to the fixture. Forecasts and event arrangements can change, and the absence of a current forecast here is deliberate rather than a prediction of conditions.

Visitor, transport and entry guide

The venue address is 15 Derwent Street, Bellerive TAS 7018. Official event-day guidance says parking is limited and encourages patrons to prefer public transport. Kangaroo Bay is listed as a free parking option, but availability, restrictions and event-day arrangements can change. The official page lists regular bus routes 601, 615, 625 and 634 from Hobart City Interchange via Rosny Park to Clarence Street, and says no additional buses are planned at the time of the checked guidance. 1 2 3 7

Ride-share and taxi directions differ by context in the official guidance. Event information gives Douglas Street for pick-up and drop-off, while non-event guidance gives Derwent Street outside the main entrance. Check the live event page rather than assuming one location applies to every match. The additional ferry or bus wording on the transport page is framed around AFL, BBL and Australian international games, so it is not presented as a confirmed WBBL service. 7

The venue is cashless. Official access information supports accessible seating and toilets, wheelchair access, five lifts, companion-ticket pathways and service animals by arrangement. It also identifies water stations at the Western and Northern Gates and a first-aid room near the Western Gate. Match-specific seating arrangements and gate opening times should be checked before travel. 2 8

The conditions of entry prohibit alcohol, opened drink containers, cans, glass or crockery, umbrellas, hard cool boxes, cricket bats other than small autograph bats, drones and smoking or vaping. Professional cameras with lenses over 300mm are also listed among prohibited items. Conditions may vary by event, so the official page should be checked again before packing. 9

Ticketek is identified as the authorised ticketing agent, and the venue warns against unauthorised resellers. This guide does not state a ticket price, remaining inventory, sell-out status or a gate opening time. 11

The Tasmanian Cricket Museum and Library is in the Members Pavilion, and tours report to the Western Gate. Opening hours and costs may vary on match days. Visitors interested in the museum should confirm its status separately from the match ticket and current event instructions. 3 10

Frequently asked questions

Is Bellerive Oval the same as Ninja Stadium?

Yes. Bellerive Oval is the historic ground identity and Ninja Stadium is the current naming-rights brand. Cricket Australia also lists Blundstone Arena as an alternative name, while Cricket Tasmania announced the Ninja partnership in 2024. 2 4

How many WBBL|12 regular-season matches are at Ninja Stadium?

Four are confirmed: Hobart Hurricanes Women play Melbourne Renegades Women, Adelaide Strikers Women, Brisbane Heat Women and Sydney Thunder Women on 4, 10, 14 and 21 November 2026. The three WBBL|12 finals are conditional on standings, and no final is assigned to Ninja Stadium in the checked schedule. 5 6

What time do the Hobart fixtures start?

The 4 and 10 November matches start at 19:10 AEDT, the 14 November match starts at 15:40 AEDT and the 21 November match starts at 12:00 AEDT. The schedule table above gives the corresponding UTC and IST values from the checked match-centre data. 6

What is the stadium capacity?

The current official figure is 19,500 as a whole-ground or event capacity. It should not be presented as a verified permanent-seat count. Older secondary material gives conflicting 15,000 and 16,000 figures, which is why this guide uses the qualified official capacity label. 1 2 16

Are the published dimensions boundary measurements?

No. The 175m figures describe the oval playing surface and vary slightly between source sections. They are not fixed boundary distances for every wicket or event configuration, and no current boundary-by-wicket table was verified. 1 16

Does Bellerive always favour batting or bowling?

There is no verified always-rule. The official historical description mentions early movement and a tendency toward more favourable batting conditions as a match progresses, plus an afternoon Derwent breeze. The actual strip, toss and match-day conditions can differ. 1

Can I take a cricket bat, umbrella or professional camera?

The conditions of entry list umbrellas, cricket bats other than small autograph bats and professional cameras with lenses over 300mm among prohibited items. They also list drones and smoking or vaping. Check the event-specific conditions before attending because requirements can change. 9

Conclusion

Bellerive Oval is a long-established Tasmanian cricket ground with current Ninja Stadium branding, documented turf and light infrastructure, and an official whole-ground or event capacity of 19,500. The evidence supports four WBBL|12 regular-season dates in Hobart, not a conditional final, and it supports historical pitch context without promising a particular 2026 result.

For a match visit, the useful next steps are to confirm the official fixture, ticketing, transport, access and conditions close to the day. The selected women's examples add context, but all-time venue records, a complete women-only match count, boundary distances and match-specific weather or wicket behaviour remain unverified rather than being filled with assumptions.