Wellington Collegians Gold congratulate team mate Matthew Prebble for retiring not out at 50 against Taradale on Tuesday. Photo / Warren Buckland
Wellington Collegians Gold congratulate team mate Matthew Prebble for retiring not out at 50 against Taradale on Tuesday. Photo / Warren Buckland
Hawke's Bay's popular summer cricket camps are continuing as planned over the coming weeks following a Covid scare, with a record number of young cricketers expected to take the pitch.
An adult associated with one of the junior teams returned a positive result for Covid-19 on Sunday after travelling toHawke's Bay.
The adult and their close contacts are now isolating at their ordinary place of residence outside of Hawke's Bay, and none of the close contacts participated in a cricket match, the Ministry of Health confirmed.
There were no Covid cases reported in Hawke's Bay on Tuesday and no locations of interest have been listed in the region.
The risk of onward transmission of Covid at the cricket camps has been classified as "low" by the Ministry of Health.
Oscar Maxted bowling for Taradale on Tuesday at Windsor Park in Hastings. Photo / Warren Buckland
Hawke's Bay Cricket Association CEO Craig Findlay confirmed the camps - which began last week and run for three weeks until January 25 - would continue as planned with a record number of players expected to take part from all over the North Island.
The junior cricket camps have been running since 1979 and have grown into a huge event in Hawke's Bay attracting thousands of young cricketers each year.
The camps are broken into age groups with each age group camp held over a period of about four days, before the next age group camp is staged.
Games continued on Monday and Tuesday following the Covid scare.
"The camps are held in the January school holidays with ten grades," Findlay said.
Finn Reid fielding for Cornwall in a match at Cornwall Park in Hastings on Monday. Photo / Paul Taylor
"High emphasis for the children is on enjoyment and participation but there is also a large part based on coaching and development."
The Hawke's Bay Cricket Association has been running the camps since 2001, after taking over from the exceptional work of Ray Mettrick, who organised them between 1979 and 2001.
"We now have a third generation of players from many families attending the annual event from all over the North Island," Findlay said.
He said there was a record number of players signed up to take part this year.
That includes a record 208 teams and 2496 players taking part in 559 games.
Young cricketers taking part in a match at Windsor Park in Hastings on Monday. Photo / Paul Taylor
It is even more than last year's record which saw 186 teams take part.
The economic benefit to the region is estimated to be about $7 million and matches are played at 14 venues including in Napier, Hastings, Havelock North, Bay View, Haumoana and Clifton.
Teams stay at multiple venues including Riverbend Church in Havelock North and Napier Girls' High School and Napier Boys' High School.
