Cricket museum to visit
INVERCARGILL: The New Zealand Cricket Museum is moving to Invercargill — temporarily.
The museum will be hosted at Bill Richardson Transport World while its home at Wellington’s Basin Reserve undergoes earthquake strengthening and refurbishment throughout 2019.
The exhibit will be on display in an upstairs exhibition space at Transport World.
Transport World executive director Joc O’Donnell said it would be the first major nontransport related exhibit to feature at the museum.
‘‘We are looking forward to adding even more variety to our visitor’s experience by hosting a great part of New Zealand’s sporting history alongside our own historic collection.’’
The exhibit will include the bat Martin Crowe used to score his final test century, a string ball made by Australian and New Zealand soldiers in a prisoner of war camp in Italy in 1942 and a World Cup display.
New Zealand Cricket
Museum director Jamie Bell was pleased the collection would be in safe hands and good company during the Museum Stand refurbishment.
‘‘We also see it as a fantastic opportunity to engage fans in the South, which currently has a thriving cricket community.’’
Following the refurbishment, the collection would return to its former location at the Basin Reserve as a newlook museum.
‘‘In order to do that, we’re planning an ambitious redevelopment that will bring cricket, its history, and its culture to life in handson and innovative ways.’’
The Bill Richardson Transport World New Zealand Cricket Museum exhibit will open in February 2019 and will be on display until at least Labour Weekend, when the timeline of the Basin Reserve redevelopment would be reviewed.
Admission will be included with all tickets into Bill Richardson Transport World.