Bay Oval to stage ODI under lights

Tauranga City Council has agreed to contribute to the cost of lights at Bay Oval in an effort to see the city host more international games like the Black Caps versus Sri Lanka game (pictured) earlier in the year.

Tauranga's first international cricket match played under lights will take place during the West Indies tour of New Zealand in the summer of 2017-18.

The announcement by Bay Oval Trust chief executive Kelvin Jones followed yesterday's decision by Tauranga City Council to back the $2.74 million installation of floodlights on the cricket oval at Mount Maunganui.

Ratepayers will contribute $915,000 towards the cost of the lights with Bay Oval Trust and Tauranga's Civic Amenities Group sharing the other $1.83 million.

The last daytime limited-over international matches at Bay Oval against Northern Hemisphere teams will likely take place in early January next year when the Black Caps take on Bangladesh in two T20 fixtures.

City councillors yesterday voted 9-2 to contribute a third of the $2.74 million cost to install floodlights on Blake Park's cricket oval.

It was on condition that the Civic Amenities Group contributed half the cost of the 2016-17 year's design and consent costs of $300,000, with the council paying the rest.

This would leave the council and the group each paying $765,000 next year towards the cost to construct the lights in the lead up to the summer of 2017-18 when the oval would get West Indies and Pakistan games.

Lights would also boost Tauranga's chances of getting matches for the Under-19 World Cup in February 2018.

The Bay Oval Trust will contribute the remaining $915,000 from applications to funding agencies like TECT and pub charities. The trust also funds the majority of the oval's operating costs, although councillors were told it had not committed itself to funding depreciation on the lights.

Yesterday's council meeting saw an unsuccessful bid to get the Civic Amenities Group to pay all this year's design and planning costs. Councillor Rick Curach said the group needed to put its money where its mouth was by funding up front so that the council knew for sure.

When this move was lost 7-4, Mayor Stuart Crosby proposed a compromise in which the council and the Civic Amenities Group went halves on design and consenting costs. "It will give us confidence we are moving forward together."

This was won by a comfortable voice vote, with the overall lights funding package then won by a vote of 9-2, with councillors Rick Curach and Catherine Stewart opposing.

Councillor Catherine Stewart said there was a "lot of warm fuzzies" going on in the debating chamber when there was no guarantee that Tauranga would get games. There may be other demands from New Zealand Cricket that the council was unaware of.

Mayor Stuart Crosby said the Bay Oval needed lights to make it a truly international facility. He highlighted other successful partnerships that had led to the construction of Baywave and ASB Arena.

Councillor Leanne Brown said it sent a signal to the Civic Amenities Group to step up. "A lot of work has been done on this project over a long length of time."

Mr Jones said Bay Oval had missed out on getting any of the 2018 England games because Cricket New Zealand needed a definite assurance that the oval would have lights. "We missed out because the timing was a bit off."

And although the West Indies and Pakistan matches were awarded without the pre-condition of lights, Mr Jones was sure that at least one of the West Indies matches would be played under lights. "By this time next year, we will be able to bid for all international matches."

Bay Oval Trust chairman Chris Rapson said it was a great decision for the city. "To secure our place in the pecking order [of venues with lights] was worth gold."

He said having two legs of the stool in the place, the council and the Civic Amenities Group, meant the trust could now go forward with confidence to approach funding agencies like TECT, pub charities and Lotteries. "I have no doubt that we will raise the money."

Day-night limited over matches were needed to suit the viewing time zones in the big television markets of England, India, South Africa and the United States. "They are the big cricket watchers and that is where the big income is generated."

Black Caps international cricket matches for Bay Oval 2017-18:

* Friday, January 6, 2017: Bangladesh (T20)

* Sunday, January 8, 2017: Bangladesh (T20)

* Early January, 2018: West Indies (two 50-over games)

* Early February 2018: Pakistan (one limited-over match)