Adults playing at Culling Park again
GOODWILL between the Albion Cricket Club and the St Kilda Bowling Club has allowed adult cricket to resume at Culling Park.
Adults’ games stopped being played at the venue in November after cricket balls sailing over the ground’s boundary posed a safety risk to lawn bowlers next door.
Sixes being thumped over the safety netting at Culling Park have been a problem for the bowling club for many years.
The issue came to a head late last year and, after consultation between the Dunedin City Council and the Dunedin Cricket Association, it was decided to halt scheduling senior games at the ground.
Cricket returned to the venue this month, and Albion plaid Cavaliers there last weekend, in a third grade match.
Good community spirit between the Albion Cricket Club and the St. Kilda Bowling Club is behind the recommencement of play at the ground.
‘‘We approached the bowling club the other week and approached them about Saturday cricket,’’ Albion Cricket Club president Tony Buchanan said.
‘‘Their president was very helpful and agreed that they would be comfortable with us requesting that third grade cricket be played at Culling, if they agreed to play on the far side of their bowling club.’’
‘‘So that sort of area directly over the fence would not be used and they said they could cope with that.’’
‘‘So we passed that on to Dunedin Cricket.’’
Cricket returning to Culling Park was vital to the sustainability and the spirit of the Albion club, Buchanan said.
‘‘Because there is no game at the club it is hard to get people back to the clubrooms and it has a flowon effect with the bar takings and it all helps when you’re an amateur club.
‘‘There has been a real drop off in the bar takings compared to this time last year, so we are very thankful to the bowling club.’’
A permanent solution or upgrading of the safety netting at Culling Park, which would allow senior grade cricket to return to the ground, is being worked on.
‘‘It is my understanding that the council are still progressing on a more permanent solution,’’ Buchanan said.
The council confirmed it was investigating options for the upgrade of the safety netting at the ground.
However, with the upgrade some time away there will almost certainly be no senior cricket at the ground for the rest of the current season.
‘‘We are currently looking at options for the safety net at Culling Park. This includes pricing,’’ council contracts manager parks and recreation Gareth Jones said.
‘‘We will continue to work with the Dunedin Cricket Association and hope to have a solution before the next cricket season,’’