Race to finish Bay Oval pavilion project

by Kelly Exelby | 19th November 2009

The Bay Oval is in New Zealand Cricket's sights as a potential World Cup venue - but time is running out to get the new purpose-built facility up to international standard in time for the tournament in 2015.

Jared Carter, New Zealand Cricket's turf manager, was in Tauranga yesterday looking at the Oval ahead of the ground hosting three games in January in the expanded national domestic Twenty20 competition.

Bay of Plenty Cricket, or its associated trust which has been set up to look after the ground, has an international-class pitch and outfield, but progress continues to be stymied by the $4-5 million pavilion project struggling to get backing.

"We've watched the project evolve over the last couple of years with a great deal of interest and I'd say once the facilities and infrastructure is fully in place then the sky's the limit as far as games it might host," Carter said.

"It would be great to have the Oval fully operational so it becomes a consideration for the 2015 World Cup. Obviously, where it sits right now, there's plenty of work still to be done."

Carter said it wasn't just a matter of finding the funding and building a pavilion for the World Cup dream to become reality.

"It would need ICC approval, which would mean it needs to be finished at least 12 months before the World Cup so the ICC can test it and approve it.

"The ground takes another step forward over summer and is definitely on the horizon as an international venue, probably in the shorter forms of the game right now given (Hamilton's) Seddon Park is part of the same association." Bay Oval is one of 10 cricket-specific first-class grounds in New Zealand, with NZ Cricket launching the HRV Cup domestic Twenty20 competition at Mount Maunganui on January 2 when the Knights take on the Auckland Aces.

The Knights, with Sri Lankan star Tillakaratne Dilshan in the top order, will play a January 2-3 double-header against the Aces and Otago Volts and return on January 15 for their round-robin clash with the Wellington Firebirds.

The tournament would have added prestige this year with all the Black Caps available. The West Indies team will also train at the ground for a week in January prior to the under-19 World Cup.

Kelvin Jones, who has left Bay Cricket, where he was operations manager, to become general manager of Bay of Plenty Cricket Trust, said the January games would be a good test of the ground's capacity. Sky Sport had specifically requested the Bay Oval host the opening game of the series.

"I'd expect we'll get double last year's crowd, maybe more, given that early January is a great time of the year for us."

Last season's game was run as a profit-share between Bay of Plenty Cricket and Northern Districts but the Bay Trust would this season charge ND a fee to stage the games and forgo any revenue to mitigate the potential for a financial loss if it rains.

Jones said the search was continuing for financial backing for the Bay Oval pavilion project. The Perry Foundation had recently granted $200,000 for power, water and sewage, sightscreens and a permanent curator's shed.

David Johnston has expanded his role to become Bay Cricket's general manager, saying it made sense to split the two organisations.

"Kelvin's focus can be on the ground, ring-fenced from Bay Cricket and with charitable trust status. It was time to split it off because our recent strategic discussions have drummed home the importance of not losing sight of our first job, which is to grow and run cricket in the region."

With 7500 active players Bay of Plenty is by far the biggest minor association in New Zealand, not far behind Otago which is one of six major associations.

Bay Cricket's big issues are its geographical boundaries - from the East Cape across to Turangi and north to Waihi Beach - and the handful of staff it employs to develop the game.