Cricket: International matches return to McLean Park

Central Districts Cricket Association chief executive Pete de Wet displays his elation at news Napier's McLean Park will host international fixtures again. Photo / Paul Taylor

The return of top international cricket to a renewed McLean Park will be an absolute highlight of the coming Hawke's Bay summer, according to Central Districts Cricket Association chief executive Pete de Wet.

He was reacting to yesterday's announcement which confirmed two Black Caps one-day internationals and a White Ferns one-day international will be played at Hawke's Bay's premier sports venue this summer. In addition Sri Lanka will play a warm-up game in Napier ahead of a December test series and an ODI against the Black Caps at another Central Districts venue, Nelson's Saxton Oval, in January.

New Zealand Cricket's full international schedule for the summer was released yesterday. It has the Black Caps taking on India at McLean Park on January 23 and the White Ferns taking on their India counterparts at the same venue the following day.

The Black Caps will return to Napier to play a day/night ODI on February 13 against Bangladesh. This will be the tourists' first match on their New Zealand tour.

The Napier City Council is nearing completion of a major McLean Park redevelopment project that has seen the rollout of state of the art drainage and returfing, including a drop-in wicket, to follow ahead of the summer. The $900,000 upgrade was made in an attempt to avoid future transfers of international cricket fixtures.

The council committed to the upgrade in the wake of the transfer of the March 1, 2017, fourth ODI between the Black Caps and South Africa to Hamilton's Seddon Park. The transfer followed an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the February 2, 2017, abandonment of the Black Caps ODI against Australia at McLean Park.

That highlighted a need for urgent remedial work on McLean Park's turf, drainage and irrigation systems. The first major sporting event at the park following the project will be the September 2 Mitre 10 Cup Championship rugby clash between the Hawke's Bay Magpies and Counties-Manukau Steelers.

"I've been thrilled to watch the progress over the past few months and, along with our stakeholders and cricketing public I'm sure, we're tremendously grateful to Napier City Council for its significant investment," de Wet said.

"The redevelopment is clearly restoring an iconic Napier venue to a world-class cricket facility, and I have every confidence that this is the start of an exciting new era for all international and domestic cricket at McLean Park."

Last summer was the first season since 1989-90 that Napier had not hosted international cricket, and de Wet said it was brilliant for the sports-loving public of Hawke's Bay to have not one but three international matches coming to the Bay for 2018-19.

"I really can't wait to see the world's top teams stepping onto the new turf. It's going to be a very proud moment for Hawke's Bay."

New Zealand Cricket CEO David White agreed.

"It's wonderful to see both the Black Caps and the White Ferns returning to a revamped McLean Park. Napier has long been one of NZC's established summer locations, and the improvements at the venue should make for an excellent season of top-flight cricket," White said.

While it has yet to be officially confirmed, McLean Park is understood to be a venue for one of two tests to be played between the Black Caps and England during November and December next year.