New cricket venue

Press, 3 November 1984, Page 80

New cricket venue

By

JOHN COFFEY

Dudley Park in Rangiora will become Canterbury’s fourth home venue in 120 years of first-class cricket when the Shell Trophy competition begins in midDecember.

The three-day match against Wellington, which starts on December 13, has been transferred from Lancaster Park, which is under- « major reconstruction j pitch area. Canterbury’s first Shell Cup limited-overs game, against Wellington on December 17, will also be played at Dudley Park.

It now seems certain that the new Lancaster Park

pitch will not be used until Canterbury meets Pakistan between January 8 and 10.

The pitch block was excavated immediately after the end of the football season and has been resown. Top dressing and irrigation work has also been carried out on other parts of the oval. Mr Alby Duckmanton, the chairman of the Canterbury Cricket Association, said yesterday the venue had been changed “to give the groundsman more time to complete the work.” Mr Duckmanton was confident that there would be no pitch problems when the Pakistanis begin their tour in Christchurch. 1

If necessary, the Canterbury squad could use the pitch for open practice and as a second option, though an unlikely one, a one-day club match could be allocated to the ground. Dudley Park has been the venue for Shell Cup fixtures, but Canterbury’s first-class home matches have previously been held within the boundaries of Christchurch City. Although it has gained four days of representative cricket next month, Rangiora is to lose the Shell Cup game against Otago on January 20. That match will probably be switched to Lancaster Park.