Refurbishments mean Te Puke Cricket Club has delayed start to home campaign.

New Te Puke Cricket Club president and captain Stephen Crossan in front of the club's pavilion which is undergoing extensive alterations.

Te Puke's cricket fans might have to be prepared for a bit of travel to support their team for the first part of the upcoming season.

The Baywide cricket competition starts early next month, but work on Te Puke Cricket Club's pavilion at Te Puke Domain means the premier team isn't scheduled to play a game on its home wicket until November 9.

Premier team captain and new club president Stephen Crossan says the timing of the completion of the work is still "a bit up in the air".

"We are hoping the majority of the work is done by mid November, at least so we will be able to able to play cricket," he says.

"But Bay of Plenty Cricket has been good and adjusted the draw so we have two away games to start with."

While a lick of paint and some new bench seats improved the changing rooms a year ago, the work now being carried out is more extensive.

It began with the deck which was deemed unsafe.

"It needed to be replaced so, as a committee, we decided instead of just fixing the deck, let's look at what else we could do."

The extra work includes increasing the size of the changing rooms, adding more storage, changing the way players access the field and adding an umpires' room, "which will be good for them".

"They don't really have the space here at the moment, they are just sitting in the pavilion which isn't overly good for them.

"And the whole security of the place — we are making the place more secure as we had several break-ins last year, so it will help with that."

Committee member and premier team batsman Tai Bridgman-Raison says the work was held up and designs modified when it was found more excavation and backfilling was required.

"It's been quite a big project costing a couple of hundred thousand, but we've had good support from some of the gaming charities and TECT, plus we've done our own fundraising," he says.

Tai says the modifications will help the club improve its standing.

"I think it's a great place to play cricket if you look at the surrounds and the outfield and quality of the playing surface, the work we are doing around the pavilion is going to complement that."

Two summers ago the club hosted a Bay of Plenty v Counties Manukau Hawke Cup game and Stephen says he hopes the improvement to facilities will allow the club to host more higher-level games.

"That was three days of cricket which is a pretty impressive feat for the club, so with the upgrade of our general facilities, we will hopefully be able to host bigger games like that."

The Baywide cricket season begins on October 5 with the first round of the 50-over Bay Cup competition. Te Puke's first two games will be away to Cadets then Lake Taupō, before a "home" game against Greerton to be played at Blake Park.

The club will be playing in the two-day T20 Taupō Spring Invitational at Owen Delany Park on Saturday and Sunday, along with the host club, Karaka Cricket Club and Taradale Cricket Club.

T20 Taupō Spring Invitational schedule
September 28
11am: Lake Taupō CC v Karaka CC, Te Puke CC v Taradale CC
2.45pm: Lake Taupō CC v Taradale CC, Karaka CC v Te Puke CC
September 29
10.30am: Lake Taupō CC v Te Puke CC, Taradale CC v Karaka CC
2pm: Final — First v Second