Howzat! Pitch in and have a knock at Eden Park

Cricket players who enjoy a friendly game of backyard cricket can up their game with a bat on an international cricket pitch this Saturday.

A group of mates could walk onto the pitch feeling like superstars and use the same wicket less than a day after the Black Caps and Indian cricket team play at Eden Park.

Eden Park Trust is auctioning off the rare chance to play a four-hour cricket match this Saturday on the hallowed surfaced for a T20 cricket match.

The auction launched today with a reserve price of $5,000 and ends at 8pm on Thursday February 7.

The winner will buy themselves access to the turf, use of the official changing rooms and the chance to have their names in lights with the uses of super screens and LEDs.

Up to two teams of 12 people and 15 supporters for each team will be given stadium access.

Eden Park's chefs will also whip up a meal for the hungery players worth up to $2000.

The teams will be expected to bring their own cricket gear, but Eden Park will throw in the wicket.

The Eden Park Trust chief executive officer Nick Sautner said it was an extermely rare experience.

"We field countless requests to access the hallowed turf and this is the first time an international cricket wicket is being made available to Kiwis by an award-winning turf team."

The purpose of the auction was to make greater utilisation of the stadium to benefit the community.

To bid visit www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1938589253&ed=true