From back-benches to backyard oval
It would be really embarrassing to go down to a bunch of part-time pollies. Ben Mckelvie
Manawatu’s backyard cricket ground is about to up the over rate.
Home to third-grade Palmerston North club Bloomfield, and built by the team’s opening bat Ben Mckelvie on his Oroua Downs dairy farm, the ‘‘Omanuka Oval’’ on Omanuka Rd is set to take on some heavy hitters.
On Sunday March 26, the ground is to host for the first time anywhere outside Wellington, the parliamentary cricket team.
Of course there is collusion. The parliamentary team organiser for the past five years, and its former captain, is Rangitikei MP Ian Mckelvie, Ben’s uncle.
‘‘He watched us play the first day out there and I guess he thought he might be able to get a bit of a win,’’ Ben Mckelvie said. ‘‘He asked if we’d be interested and all the boys were keen.’’
The 22-over match will be played to twilight rules, meaning all team members have to bowl, and batsmen must retire on 50 runs.
Ian Mckelvie said the parliamentary team played three or four games a year – the most prominent being the annual fixture against diplomats stationed in the capital – but won’t know its make up until closer to the game.
‘‘It’ll be a mixture of parliamentarians, parliamentary staff and anyone connected to the [parliament] building, so we get a few good players.’’
He rated his team a decent third-grade side.
‘‘We don’t often get beaten. We have quite a good record.’’
His nephew hoped Bloomfield would put up a good showing.
‘‘It would be really embarrassing to be an actual cricket club that plays every week to go down to a bunch of part-time pollies – but stranger things have happened.’’
Despite recent wet weather, he said the country pitch is in reasonable order and ready for a late autumn flurry.
On Saturday March 25, it will be used for a local 20/20 tri tournament, and the following weekend for a game against Wellington’s Eastern Suburbs Cricket Club.