Cricket: Howzat for a great new venue

Kelvin Jones at new cricket pavilion at the Bay Oval. Photo/John Borren.

Years of planning, outstanding organisation and intensive turf culture work from Jared Carter and his team are set to be rewarded in lavish style with Mount Maunganui's Bay Oval providing two separate venues for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2014 (CWCQ), to be held from January 13 to February 1.

Ten sides will battle it out across New Zealand for the remaining two places in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, which is scheduled to be played in Australia and New Zealand in February-March 2015.

Over three weeks, 150 players from ICC's top associate and affiliate members will take part in 34 matches - all with free admission for fans.

Seeking to join Ireland and Afghanistan, who have already secured two of ICC Cricket World Cup 2015's four qualifying places, are Canada, Hong Kong, Kenya, Namibia, Nepal, the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Scotland, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Uganda.

The 10 teams have been divided into two groups of five, with the top three from each progressing into the Super Sixes stage of the tournament.

Matches will be played on the main Bay Oval ground, that has been a superb venue in recent seasons for the Northern Knights, and the new Bay Oval 2 which was used for the first time last Sunday in a game between the Bay Development and Northern Districts Under-19s.

The attractive-looking pavilion also got its first outing and Bay of Plenty Cricket Trust general manager Kelvin Jones says feedback for the new facilities was excellent.

"We need to quicken the outfield up a bit and that will happen. The wicket itself was really good, with a couple of big scores," Jones said.

"One of the comments was, to be honest, on that wicket 300 was required batting first.

"It is testimony to Jared [Carter]. A brand new wicket generally used to take a season or two to bed in but the work he did in construction and enough rolling means it will be spot-on from game one."

Jones says they still have a bit to do before January but everything will be in place by the time the first game begins.

"We are rushing to get everything done and we still have a pavilion that is not quite completed. It is probably a little bit daunting to be honest, having 14 games in 20 odd days, and with reserve days and teams training up to three sessions a day right through that time as well.

"We are really excited about it. It is a really big step up for us."

The quality of the pitches, outfields and grass practice wickets are second to none at the Bay Oval, thanks to the work of former Basin Reserve curator Carter, who arrived at the Mount in August 2010.

Jones says they have the best man in the country for the job.

"Jared is certainly up for it and he has got things in the right shape now. He has been planning for this for quite some time and knows what he is for. It is just about putting the right resources around him now."