Upgrade could cater for cricket

Will Johnston

After the decision was made to bowl the East Stand in Yarrow Stadium’s $50 million re-development, questions were asked about the venue’s capacity to host cricket again.

Many suggested the demolition of the East Stand would provide a greater opportunity to move the stand back to ensure boundaries meet international cricket standards – a bugbear that’s been widely publicised.

Yarrow Stadium’s boundary measurements for men’s international cricket currently meet the New Zealand Cricket requirements for both the north and south boundaries (the ends) but not the east and west.

The requirements of boundaries are 60 metres from the centre of the pitch and the east and west boundaries are approximately 52 and 47 metres respectively with a centred pitch.

While Pukekura Park is the traditional cricket venue in New Plymouth, Yarrow Stadium held its fair share of matches over the years. It hosted two first-class one-day matches before its major development, completed in 2002 when Central Districts hosted Wellington in 1998 then Otago a year later.

Central Districts returned in the summer of 2003 to play Wellington before a one-day match against Sri Lanka in 2004, despite the smaller boundaries. All four matches were under lights.

Yarrow Stadium was then one of the major venues for the 2015/16 domestic twenty-twenty season with six matches played under lights, including the national final. At the time, New Zealand Cricket was using venues with lights to replace the rugby time slot on television.

Central Districts then hosted Northern Districts in another twenty-twenty match the following summer when Blackcaps bowler Doug Bracewell tore his anterior cruciate ligament when diving in front of the players' tunnel.

A drop-in pitch was used for the twenty-twenty matches, developed in Auckland, trucked to New Plymouth in sections and craned into position. It was then removed after its final match.

After the re-development to repair earthquake issues, discovered in 2017 and 2018, will Yarrow Stadium host cricket again and does New Zealand Cricket need another cricket venue?

A surge of boutique venues appeared in New Zealand over the last 12 years. The University Oval held its first test in 2008 and Hagley and Bay Ovals in 2014. Nelson’s Saxton Oval is still yet to host a test, one-day internationals were first held at the ground in 2014.

Although stadium owners, Taranaki Regional Council, don’t view Yarrow Stadium as a test venue, it’s open to still host the code there.

“But we will continue to investigate the possibility of hosting other forms of the game with the view that the stadium will act as a complement to Pukekura Park,” said the council chairman David MacLeod.  

The vision is for Yarrow Stadium to be fit for a wide range of users and scale of users, as well as be open and available to the Taranaki community and many people as possible.

MacLeod said an important part of the project was the continual work with sports organisations and codes including the Taranaki Cricket Association, Central Districts Cricket and New Zealand Cricket to ensure sport, recreation and event facilities work to complement each other throughout Taranaki.  

“Consideration of the field alignment at the stadium is ongoing with the proposed demolition of the East Stand and the NZ Cricket boundary requirements to host international men’s cricket will be considered in those developments.”  

Stadium operators New Plymouth District Council declined to comment until the plans for the stadium are firmed. It was instrumental in bringing events like the FIFA Under 20 World Cup to New Plymouth in 2015.

NZ Cricket was approached for comment but did not reply.

Photo: Dave Lintott Photography