$10,000 cricket pitch for Dudley Park

Press, 29 September 1988, Page 38

$10,000 cricket pitch for Dudley Park

A new cricket pitch is being laid at Dudley Park, Rangiora, at a cost of about $lO,OOO. the North Canterbury Cricket Association decided to build a new pitch further south and west of the old one to endeavour to have a hard, fast, even-playing wicket. The pitch will only be for representative cricket, but there will not be any games on it before Christmas, and when it' is used, there will be no major representative fixtures. In the past, Dudley Park has seen at least one firstclass, one-day fixture each season featuring the Canterbury team. The technique of laying the wicket is relatively new to New Zealand and is similar to that used at the basin reserve in Wellington. Shingle is laid first, then sand and then 10cm of Waikari soil. The secretry of the associa-

tion, Mr Peter Williams, said it was quite a “technical exercise.” Time would tell when it would be ready for use, he said, arid in the meantime, fixtures would be played at the Mandeville complex, and in other country areas at Ellesmere, Hurunui and Malvern. “We have put a lot of time and effort into the project and have sought a lot of professional advice,” said Mr Williams. The advice of Mr Russell Wyllie, the groundsman at Lancaster Park, had also been very valuable, he said. The association will apply to the Rangiora District Council for a sport and recreation grant to help fund the project. If this is unsuccessful, it has decided to approached the Hillary Commission. An application will also be made to the New Zealand Cricket Foundation.