Cricket fans cheer Bay milestone

Keen Bethlehem College cricketers Lennon Turner (left), Jonathan Smalberger, Dylan Fletcher, Charlie Peacocke, Jacob Marshall and Taylor Pankhurst and (below) Luke Ronchi. Picture / Alan Gibson

Expensive revamp of ground gives locals chance to watch Black Caps versus South Africa in Tauranga

In a major centre deprived of All Blacks and even Super 15 matches, having the cream of cricket on home turf yesterday proved Tauranga's time to shine.

And shine it did, as thousands of punters turned out to Mt Maunganui's revamped Bay Oval to watch the Black Caps' one-day international clash against South Africa amid balmy weather.

What Bay of Plenty's cricket boss dubbed the biggest sporting event to take place in Tauranga was the fruit of efforts to get the grounds up to international standard, at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

For fans like long-time Mount local Bob Lunn, who counted 40 years since last attending an international match, the spend was worth it.

"I'm a golfer, but it looks like a pretty good fairway to me," he told the Herald from his pitch-side deck chair.

"Let's face it; it's so comfortable, it's right at your doorstep, and if you are remotely interested in cricket, it's something you've got to come along and see."

For 10-year-old budding Bethlehem cricketer Jonathan Smalberger, mingling with his heroes came as a happy change from a day in class.

His highlight was scoring a signature from lightning-fast South African idol, Dale Steyn, because "the fastest bowler gets lots of wickets ... he's cool."

Jonathan was one of eight Bethlehem College pupils invited to play on the pitch against other local school sides at halftime.

"They've been pretty excited," the college's cricket coach John Wilson said. "It's the first time they've ever been to the grounds here at Mt Maunganui, and for most of them, it's the first time they've ever seen a Black Caps match."

That spectacle made for hard viewing at times as New Zealand's first batting effort of the international summer stuttered to 230 in 45.1 overs.

The home side's score would have been worse had it not been for a record-setting 10th wicket stand between wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi and tailender Trent Boult.

Their stand of 74 lifted New Zealand from a shabby 156 for nine. Luckless Ronchi was last man out, caught behind off Dale Steyn for 99 scored off 83 balls.

After they'd been sent in, South Africa completed the job with 11 balls to spare.

Bay of Plenty Cricket Trust general manager Kelvin Jones believed Tauranga had proven itself well as an international-grade cricket venue. "This seems to me a bit of a trial, so hopefully we will make a success out of it."

With confirmation of the oval's selection for an October ODI just months ago, the trust had upgraded facilities including the terrace and pavilion. "This ground has been 10 years in the making from the start, but in the end, it's all happened very quickly."