Many a moon has come and gone since international cricket was contested in the Bay of Plenty, but all that is about to change.
The top two seeds in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2014 will be on show at Mount Maunganui's Bay Oval over the next two days in warm-up fixtures. United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Netherlands earned that distinction after finishing third and fourth respectively behind Ireland and Afghanistan in the Pepsi World Cricket League Championship 2011-13 (WCLC).
Four matches will be contested on two pitches in as many days in a bid to play at the world cup, in New Zealand and Australia in 2015.
UAE will meet Uganda at Bay Oval today, while the Netherlands test themselves against Canada on Bay Oval 2.
Tomorrow will see UAE play the Netherlands and Canada clash with Uganda. Admission to all matches is free.