 The ground later held a first-class match when Nelson played Wellington on 31 December 1883, which Nelson won by 39 runs.Besides cricket, the ground also saw one of the first rugby matches to be played in New Zealand, between Nelson College and a group of local players on 14 May 1870.After Trafalgar Park's development as Nelson's main sports venue in the 1880s the Botanical Gardens was no longer used for major sports events.