Cricket: Knights' realm superb

Nathan Bunting, Northland Cricket groundsman, has done a top job in preparing the Cobham Oval pitch for tomorrow's four-day Plunket Shield match between the Northern Knights and the Otago Volts. Photo/Michael Cunningham

The stage is set at the Cobham Oval for the Northern Knights and Otago Volts' first-class Plunket Shield clash tomorrow, as Northlanders ready themselves for the Indians this summer.

The four-day match will act as a dummy run for Northland Cricket, with general manager Warren Marr saying organising this week's match had been a learning curve for him.

"It's my first time running this first-class event and it's a bit of a challenge, to be honest, but luckily I've got heaps of good people around me," Marr explained of former Northland first-class cricketers Stephen Cunis and Neal Parlane.

"We have a run sheet and we tick off as we go, [so] hopefully everything is ticked off by now.

"[During the game] I act as match manager as well and the players these days are pretty well treated, because they're professionals, so there's a lot of logistics behind it and, luckily, I've got a good team who have said I can delegate to them."

Getting to match day has not been easy for Marr and co as two months ago the Cobham Oval looked more like a desert than a first-class venue. The groundsmen have pulled together a top pitch - to Marr's delight.

"It's been a number of months because we haven't had a ground. Two months ago it was just pretty much a desert and thankfully the grass has come up pretty well and we've had one Northland game."

While four-day cricket was not considered a sexy and sellable part of the game it was still top-level cricket, with the national 20-over competition - the HRV Cup - considered a big seller.

"If you like your cricket you're going to see a high level of cricket," Marr said. "We don't get any of the HRV Cup, unfortunately, which gets the numbers in."

He said that the lack of HRV Cup matches was more to do with numbers than the Cobham Oval itself. Northern Knights' HRV Cup games were played in Mt Mangonui and Hamilton largely because of the belief more people holidayed there in summer.

What will be attractive for this week's match, however, is free entry to an all-day affair, with play starting at 10.30am each day and going until between 5pm-6pm.

Marr invited Northlanders to go along to enjoy a day in the sun and some high-level cricket.

"Food and beverages are available. [And] everyone is welcome to go into the pavilion, it's not a members-only thing these days, so come along and enjoy it."