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Australian sports ground

Junction Oval (also known as the St Kilda Cricket Ground, or the CitiPower Centre due to sponsorship reasons) is a historic sports ground in the suburb of St Kilda in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The oval's location near the St Kilda Junction gave rise to its name. It is located approximately five kilometres south from the centre of Melbourne and is in the southernmost part of the large Albert Park sporting precinct. The oval is the administrative headquarters of Cricket Victoria, and was redeveloped between 2015 and 2018 for that purpose. The scoreboard is a landmark of the St Kilda Junction area. The remainder of the ground is grass embankments, other than the southern practice wicket area. Older structures were demolished during a rationalisation of the ground, after they were declared a fire hazard by the Metropolitan Fire Brigade in 1988. It is a very picturesque venue, with a top quality turf playing area and a modern backdrop of tall buildings and parkland. In 2013, Warne spoke on behalf of the campaign to preserve the ground's suitability as a venue for first class cricket. In December 2014, the Victorian government announced it would contribute $25 million to the Oval's redevelopment to allow it to become the administrative and training headquarters of Cricket Victoria. The redevelopment of the venue incorporated several new features such as a national centre for cricket training and programs, on site accommodation for visiting teams and officials, medical and training facilities including an extensive outdoor turf training area and 10 lane indoor centre and administrative facilities and offices to house Cricket Victoria and be rented to external parties. The redevelopment allowed the oval to become a boutique size alternative venue for first class cricket with a capacity for up to 7,000 spectators. The upgraded venue was unveiled ahead of the Sheffield Shield match between Victoria and New South Wales on 3 March 2018. The Melbourne Stars played the first men's Big Bash League match at the venue against the Perth Scorchers on 2 January 2022 as part of their BBL11 Campaign.

Junction Oval was founded in tandem with the St Kilda Cricket Club, who have called the ground home since its opening in 1856. The lack of upgrades to the oval meant that by 2005 the venue failed to meet first class standards, though in retaining its charm it was compared to the Basin Reserve in Wellington. The need for a first class standard cricket ground in Victoria, in addition to the 100,000 seat capacity Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), became increasingly apparent as the state team was forced to host Sheffield Shield finals in interstate locations. Consequently, the redevelopment of the ground in the mid 2010s allowed Victoria and other teams to host matches at an appropriately sized venue, relieving pressure on the MCG and enabling the oval to become capable of hosting Women's Big Bash League matches and other cricket competitions where necessary, as well as being the administrative headquarters of Cricket Victoria. The venue is referred to as the CitiPower Centre. As a result of the redevelopment, the Victorian state team plays many home games in the domestic One Day Cup and Sheffield Shield competitions at the oval. Success at the redeveloped ground came quickly for the Victorians, who won their sixth One Day Cup and 32nd Sheffield Shield at the Junction Oval during the 2018–19 season.