Karori Park nearly ready to answer a few questions
THE shipping containers have arrived, the boundary rope’s tangled up next to the pavilion and there’s plenty of green grass about – all Karori Park needs now is 22 provincial cricketers.
And, if Wellington coach Jamie Siddons had his way, a gate or two. A veteran of 160 first-class games in Australia, Siddons is still unsure about Karori ahead of its debut game at this level.
‘‘Well, it doesn’t have a firstclass feel to me. All the first-class fields I played on were stadiums and everywhere else, I think, around the country has a fence around it, which is always nice,’’ said Siddons.
‘‘Once you put a rope around it, it might [look less of a suburban ground].’’
Sunday’s Plunket Shield clash between Wellington and Central Districts is a big moment for the ground.
The containers, once they’ve been swathed in white cloth, will act as sightscreens, while the overall look of the place will be enhanced once the marquees and signage go up. They’re all peri- pheral to the pitch, though, which is flat and has good, even grass coverage.
‘‘It looks good,’’ Siddons said of the wicket.
‘‘We’ve practised out there a couple of times and, if you bend your back, you will get something out of it.
‘‘We’ll have a crack; we have to get 20 wickets [to win].’’
While the pitch appears fine now, there is uncertainty about how it will play as the match wears on.
‘‘I hope it deteriorates really badly, if I’m honest,’’ Siddons said.
The doubt about its lasting ability stems from the fact that the wicket has basically only ever had a day of cricket played on it per week.
For that reason even Harry Boam, one of three Karori players in Wellington’s likely XI, isn’t sure what’ll happen.
‘‘When I’ve played here it [the pitch] hasn’t really done that much, but then it’s only been made to last for two days.
‘‘So to make it last for four days it might have a bit more in it early on,’’ Boam said. ‘‘But I really don’t know.’’