Good signs for Napier
Giant covers extending across the Mclean Park outfield are among options being explored to manage the risk of staging the South Africa one-day cricket international in Napier on March 1.
In what would be a significant gamble, the under-fire venue looks likely to host the fourth ODI as scheduled, despite farcical scenes when last Thursday’s Chappell-hadlee Trophy one-dayer was abandoned without a ball bowled.
New Zealand Cricket is awaiting the findings of an independent report into why the ground was unfit for play, five hours after light rain stopped falling. It was the third abandonment of a Napier ODI in just over three years, again highlighting the abysmal drainage at the ground.
The report, commissioned by NZC and the ground’s owner Napier City Council, is expected to be completed this weekend and an announcement on Mclean Park’s future will likely follow on Monday.
NZC’S chief operating officer Anthony Crummy last week refused to rule out the prospect of the fourth South Africa ODI being shifted from Napier, pending the report. NZC is understood to have made contingency plans for other floodlit venues to step in and host the day-night match, with Hamilton’s Seddon Park high on the list.
But for Napier to be stripped of the match, the report needs to show there is no ability to improve the risk of it being washed out if rain falls in the leadup.
Extending the covers across the entire Mclean Park outfield - as some Indian grounds do to protect the playing surface from torrential downpours - is one option being discussed.
The volume of watering of the outfield in the match leadup will also be closely monitored. Sources confirmed in the wake of last Thursday’s debacle that there was concern over how much water was applied by ground staff on match eve as they grappled with the Hawke’s Bay drought.
Sure enough, the drought broke on match morning but, even allowing for heavy prematch watering the ground should have been able to cope with the 5mm of rain which actually fell. As New Zealand coach Mike Hesson noted, nearby Nelson Park was bone dry as water was still seeping to the surface at Mclean Park.
NZC appears reluctant to shift the South Africa ODI from Napier, even if it faces a backlash if things go wrong again. Anxious glances at long-range weather forecasts and elevated heart rates in the leadup are assured if Mclean Park gets the tick.