Basin Reserve facelift in full swing
New Zealand’s horses for courses approach, and Ajaz Patel’s remarkable Plunket Shield wicket-taking run, earned him the nod for the first cricket test against Sri Lanka.
Patel edged fellow spin star of their Pakistan series victory, Will Somerville, for the sole spinner’s berth at the Basin Reserve starting on Saturday.
Somerville (Auckland) and the man he replaced in the United Arab Emirates, Ish Sodhi (Northern Districts), return to domestic cricket to twirl against each other in Friday’s Plunket Shield match at Eden Park’s Outer Oval.
Central Stags batsman Will Young was the new name in the 13-man Black Caps squad, included as batting cover and unlikely to play but rewarded for his three centuries for New Zealand A this season.
Black Caps coach Gary Stead and fellow selector Gavin Larsen were always going to pick one spinner at a pace-friendly Basin Reserve where the slow bowlers rarely feature.
It looked a tight race after Patel, 30, was man of the match on debut in Abu Dhabi with 7-123 in their four-run victory in the first test.
Then Somerville, four years older, almost matched him in the decider at the same venue, snaring 7-127 in New Zealand’s 123-run win on Friday. The pair’s figures on helpful turning pitches were the third and fourth-best match hauls by New Zealand bowlers on test debut.
Patel ended with 13 wickets at 29.61, having started the tour ahead of Somerville in the pecking order. Patel was rewarded for his dominance on home pitches where he topped the shield wicket-taking charts in the last three seasons and was named last summer’s domestic cricketer of the year.
"Ajaz certainly grabbed his opportunity on the UAE tour and he’s a proven performer in New Zealand conditions," Larsen said.
"Will Somerville was an obvious stand-out on debut in the Abu Dhabi decider and it’s great to know we’ve got quality spin bowlers who can create competition for places.
"It’s an exciting time for Will Young who has been pushing for higher honours for a while now. He scored hundreds against Pakistan A and India A in recent months and deserves his call-up."
Wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Blundell missed out for Young, and will rejoin Wellington for their shield match against the Stags in Nelson on Friday.
Otherwise it was an unchanged lineup from their 2-1 win over Pakistan, as New Zealand The new Basin Reserve pavilion is gleaming, ready for the clatter of spiked boots of test cricketers on Saturday.
Across the oval, the southwestern terrace seats have been ripped out and replaced. The old Cricket Wellington office is gone, leaving a grass space for a planned kids’ playground.
Looming nearby is the Museum Stand, next year to undergo a major restoration at a cost of $7-8 million to comply with earthquake standards. The completion date for the 1000-seat stand is February 2020, in time for India’s two-test tour, and crucially boosting capacity from its most recent sellout of 6192 in 2016.
Inside, the New Zealand Cricket Museum will close its doors next week after this first test against Sri Lanka, pack up its exhibits, and won’t reopen until the work is complete.
Welcome to the Basin, gradually working its way back to being the undisputed premier test venue in the country. That’s the goal, at least, for Cricket Wellington chief executive Cam Mitchell and the Basin Reserve Trust.
‘‘The ground is looking great. We had the [New Zealand Cricket] AGM here and hearing stories of the great moments that people have experienced at the ground and what it means to them was special,’’ Mitchell said.
‘‘And the history of the ground – you can’t replicate that. There are other impressive grounds around the country but they don’t have the deep, rich history which is vital for the Basin and vital for cricket to have something that means so much to people.’’
It’s been a slow process improving the Basin from its obvious disrepair several seasons back, hampered by delays on a decision on the Museum Stand which hasn’t seated a spectator since 2012.
Kane Williamson (captain), Tom Latham, Jeet Raval, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling, Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Ajaz Patel, Trent Boult, Matt Henry, Will Young.
chase a 2-0 series victory over Sri Lanka which would see Those factors cost the ground a test against England last year. But the finish line is in sight, and Mitchell says floodlights remain in the plans too.
Wellington City Council, which is paying, has called for tenders for the Museum Stand project which Mitchell said was in the design phase. A new roof is one major aspect, to address the biggest area of earthquake risk.
them vault to No 2 in the world test rankings.
For the first of five home tests against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh it looks a straightforward selection, with senior pace trio Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner likely to be reunited, joining Patel and allrounder Colin de Grandhomme behind a stable top-six batting lineup.
Matt Henry will likely carry the drinks again but looks a strong chance of playing the second test on his home track in
‘‘We’re hopeful construction will start in April so we’ve got completion to be able to host India in February, 2020. That’s the time frame we’re working towards. It’s a full restoration, bringing the stand back to its former glory. It’s a beautiful building and it will look picturesque when it’s fully developed.’’
Included in that is a new home for Cricket Wellington in
Christchurch given Stead’s desire to rest and rotate his bowlers.
Stead said of the tough decision to omit Wagner in the third Pakistan test: "Tim [Southee] was fresh and we were looking for someone who could potentially reverse the ball into the right-hander. The two leftarmers tend to swing the ball the other way.
"It was horses for courses and trying to manage the freshness of our bowlers over a long summer.
"When you talk about someone the Museum Stand. Currently they’re in temporary offices in the RA Vance Stand and will have to vacate this week for Sky Television and hospitality areas.
Mitchell believes the justcompleted pavilion is the best in the country with viewing areas for both teams on the same level, nestled beside the Vance Stand.
It’s been a big year for Cricket Wellington under Mitchell and chair Sally Morrison. An $81,793 deficit last year was turned into a $24,241 profit, just the second such result in the past decade.
Mitchell arrived from New Zealand Football last year and oversaw a restructure which, he said, was now bearing fruit.
‘‘We didn’t reduce our spend on personnel, we wanted to make sure we had the right people in the right roles to deliver to the cricket community. For any non-profit regional or national sports organisation it’s difficult. We’ve got the added complexity of running community sport and professional sport. There’s a fine balance.’’
like Neil Wagner who has the record that he does, and bowled superbly well to help us win the first test, they’re always tough selection discussions. That’s a really positive thing that we’re in that position."
Stead noted the spin depth was a welcome problem to have, too, with Mitchell Santner and Todd Astle still sidelined but potentially in line to return in the New Year.
New Zealand assemble in Wellington tomorrow.
Black Caps squad for the first test against Sri Lanka in Wellington, starting on Saturday: