 The ground was being used for cricket in the 1858-59 season, when clubs from Nelson and the nearby town of Wakefield played each other there.The first interprovincial match there was in 1862-63, when Nelson played Wellington in a one-day match in which 40 wickets fell for 167 runs on a "very fiery pitch".Between 1875 and 1887 Nelson played seven matches at Victory Square that are now recognised as first-class.