Cricket: McLean will host England in 2nd ODI

McLean Park will be humming to the international sounds of leather on willow when it hosts England in February next year. Photo/File

McLean Park in Napier will undergo a rebirth of sorts when it hosts England in February next year.

The park, which is scheduled to be revamped to fix drainage problems that escalated in the outfield last summer, will host England in the second ODI of the five-match series against the Black Caps on February 28.

"Obviously we're very happy that it'll be at a point when the ground will be ready for an ODI against England, which will be a pretty big one for us," Central Districts Cricket CEO Pete de Wet said last night.

"It's a great fixture to almost restart the international programme at McLean Park," De Wet said, lauding the Napier City Council for investing a handsome sum of money to upgrade the outfield.

With the Mitre 10 Cup rugby campaign culminating on October 20 for the Magpies, renovations were going to encroach well into the 2017-18 cricket season.

While the project on drop-in wickets was well in advance, De Wet said they wouldn't be used during the ODI.

"It's pretty tricky playing the first ODI on one of the drop-ins against England ... not that we foresee any issues at all," he said, emphasising the technology surrounding the preparation of cricket strips was pretty sound.

However, the CD Stags would play three four-day Plunket Shield games on drop-in wickets after the ODI.

From the major association's perspective, its venue in Nelson, Saxton Oval, will host the opening T20 international against the West Indies on December 29 as well as the second ODI against recently crowned world champions Pakistan on January 9.

"Saxton is a great international venue and we're really pleased to see matches there."

The country will host 35 men and women's internationals next summer with the White Ferns playing Windies women from March.

■ The Stags have offered domestic contracts to budding batsman Mitchell Renwick and fellow Manawatu cricketer Bevan Small in the second round for a squad of 15.