GROUNDS FOR CONCERN
Basin dips out on test
Raw sewage cascading from the RA Vance Stand appears to be the final straw in Wellington’s Basin Reserve being snubbed for a prized England cricket test.
Once unchallenged as the country’s premier test venue, the leaky Basin with the shrinking capacity has missed out on hosting England on their two-test tour in early 2018.
Wellington has hosted England on each of their last eight test tours, with 1975 their last test series in New Zealand not to include the capital.
New Zealand Cricket is expected to announce the Black Caps’ opponents and venues for the next two home seasons on Friday, when the Basin’s slip down the batting order will be confirmed.
Auckland’s Eden Park – which could host a day-night test – and Christchurch’s Hagley Oval appear the leading contenders for England tests, with Hamilton’s Seddon Park also in the mix.
In mixed news for Wellington, the Basin is expected to host one of three South Africa tests in March next year, but Westpac Stadium is understood to have missed out on a Chappell-Hadlee Trophy one-day international against Australia in late January-early February due to a prior booking at the stadium.
The Basin’s nadir was during the Australia test in February when sewage from the Vance Stand toilets flowed from a pipe near the main doors and formed puddles where spectators, including children, were walking outside the ground. It was seen by local and Australian media, and summed up the ageing venue’s infrastructure issues which make a planned $21 million upgrade a matter of urgency.
Capacity is also a problem for major opponents like England or India. With the earthquake-prone Museum Stand out of action since 2012 and no decision made on its future, around 1000 seats are unused.
The sold out ODI against Pakistan in January drew an official crowd of just 6142, about half the ground’s former capacity. New health and safety regulations mean quantity surveyors have assessed one square metre per spectator, further cutting the number of available tickets and moving Hamilton (10,500) and Christchurch (8000) well ahead in terms of capacity.
NZC had increasing concerns over the state of the Basin but hadn’t expressed them publicly. Chief executive David White said last month of the Pakistan match, the ground’s first ODI in 11 years: ‘‘The problem we’ve got with the Basin is capacity. It’s quite limited and the infrastructure certainly creaked a bit.’’
Cricket Wellington (CW) chief executive Peter Clinton declined to comment till the schedule was released. Securing an England test was a high priority, with corporate packages and season tickets an important revenue stream for CW from test matches against major opponents.
In January, Clinton said the $21 million of Wellington City Council funding was part of a six-part, five year process to lift the Basin back to one of the world’s elite cricket venues.
Stage one was repairing the rusty, 35-year-old Vance Stand roof and replacing all its seats this year, while the ground’s toilets, seating, entrance ways, perimeter fence, players’ pavilion and car park all feature in the council’s ‘‘master plan’’.
Infrastructure and power supply were also a high priority with further plans including floodlights, a new stand on the western side and potential capacity for 12,000 fans. ‘‘We’re looking at a ground that can regularly cope with 7-8000; then for really big games bring in temporary overlay to meet 12,000,’’ Clinton said.
The continued uncertainty over the Museum Stand was an obvious stumbling block. Demolishing the category-2 heritage-listed building would cost about $800,000 while strengthening and upgrading it could cost as much as $8m.
Chairman of the council’s community sport and recreation committee, Paul Eagle, also declined to comment. An England test is prized by everyone, not least for the influx of big-spending fans for at least five days in the city.
NZC’s schedule document will be a long one. White said venues and councils had been ‘‘very proactive’’ in bidding for matches.
Up to 48 days of cricket are pencilled in for 2016-17 including visits by Pakistan, Bangladesh, Australia (three ODIs) and the main tour by South Africa. According to the Future Tours Programme the following summer is just as busy with West Indies the main threetest tour, joined by Pakistan, Australia (three ODIs) and England who are pencilled in for two tests and five ODIs.
An England test is prized by everyone, not least for the influx of big-spending fans for at least five days in the city.