Fourth New Zealand-South Africa ODI Shifted From Napier To Hamilton
Jan 17, 2019 at 2:27 PM
New Zealand’s fourth One-Day International against South Africa, which will be played on March 1, has been shifted from Napier to Hamilton.
Napier’s McLean Park has come under severe scrutiny after the second Chappell-Hadlee ODI between New Zealand and Australia was abandoned without a ball being bowled. The match was called off after the ground was deemed unsafe even five hours after rain had stopped. It was Napier’s second successive abandoned ODI and the officials have admitted the ground needs to be improved before it hosts any international match.
“There have been shortcomings identified in McLean Park’s drainage and irrigation system which need to be remedied before we can be confident of avoiding what happened in the Chappell-Hadlee fixture,” Anthony Crummy, the NZC chief operating officer, said.
“The investigation concludes that drought conditions in the Hawke’s Bay necessitated significant levels of watering in the days leading up to the match which, combined with a limited drainage infrastructure and rain on match-day, resulted in a worst-case scenario.
“It’s true, several measures could be employed to help mitigate this risk ahead of the South Africa match but, even then, any period of significant or extended rain in the lead-up would likely result in the same outcome. NZC, the Central Districts Cricket Association and the NCC agree this risk is unacceptable,” he added.
Meanwhile, Napier City council has committed to a $900,000 upgrade of the ground.
“By doing this, we can look forward with confidence to McLean Park hosting next summer’s ODIs between the BLACKCAPS and England, and the BLACKCAPS and Pakistan,” Crummy said.
Expressing his disappointment over the whole episode, Napier Mayor Bill Dalton said:
“In essence, we have a fantastic ground in a superb location but the turf is old and has deteriorated dramatically in the face of the recent drought conditions in the Hawke’s Bay. There are issues with the organic matter beneath the surface of the ground – issues we didn’t know about and are now urgently dealing with.”
The five-match series between New Zealand and South Africa will begin on February 19 in Hamilton.