Botswana Cricket Association Oval 1

The Botswana Cricket Association Oval 1 sits quietly on the campus of the University of Botswana, a working ground that has hosted the country’s international cricket. It is one of two ovals on the site, but the first to stage a World Cricket League tournament when the 2011 ICC event arrived in Gaborone. The ground opened in time for that Division Seven competition, and since then it has held its own.

The pitch is natural grass and changes character as the game goes on. Early on it offers consistent bounce and movement for seamers; later it becomes a spinning surface that favours bowlers. That shift has shaped the story of the ground. In 2013 the final of the same tournament was played here, with Nigeria beating Vanuatu by six wickets via the Duckworth-Lewis method. Earlier that week a match between Germany and Botswana ended in a tie, both sides reaching 211 runs.

The venue has a habit of hosting firsts for Botswana. Its inaugural women’s Twenty20 International came on 20 August 2018 against Lesotho, followed by the men’s version on 9 March 2026, also against Lesotho. It later staged the 2021 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Region Qualifier, a tournament that saw the debut of Botswana, Cameroon and Eswatini at an ICC women’s event. The BCA Kalahari Women’s T20 International Tournament returned here in 2024 and 2025, keeping the ground busy in recent years.

There is no formal address and no public record of former names or attendance figures. The ground opened in 2011. It is owned and operated by the Botswana Cricket Association, and its role is straightforward.