"Sunday night has always been protected for night events. [It's] always seen as a quiet night of the week for people to get ready for the coming week. It's a very important night for kids to get sleep at the beginning of the school week.
"We believe that rule needs to be enforced and that Sunday nights need to be protected."
Rule C1.9(2) of the Auckland Unitary Plan states that night-time sporting events at Eden Park must not happen on Sundays. The ground is limited to hosting 25 night events each year.
A resource consent has been applied for by the Eden Park Trust and submissions on the application close on May 25.
The day's play would begin at 2pm and finish at 10pm, which Donnelly said would cause disruptions "very late" on the Sunday night.
"That basically means that you've got traffic restrictions until 11, you don't clear the area for an hour or an hour and a half afterwards, so it's very late."
Donnelly disputes the notion that putting up with the impacts of events comes with the territory of living near Eden Park.
"The area's always been residential, many of us have been living here 20, 30, sometimes 40 years. It's actually the ground that keeps changing, it's not the surrounding area.
"When some of us bought [in the area] night games were a prohibited activity in the district plan, they couldn't happen at all.
"It's the changing nature of Eden Park and its events that people really can't predict. People are entitled to normal residential amenity. It's disappointing [Eden Park] won't accept the rules."
Eden Park chief executive Guy Ngata said their intention was to host one day-night cricket test at the ground each year. Ngata said Eden Park volunteered to have the consent for next year's test publicly notified.
In a letter sent to neighbours Ngata said the noise and light conditions for the Sunday night of the test "will be exactly the same as those already permitted on any other night".
An Eden Park spokesman said they had received "several supportive messages from neighbours and is aware of a number of submissions to Auckland Council from neighbours in support of the proposal".
A New Zealand Cricket spokesman said they remained keen for the day-night test to go ahead at Eden Park next March.
Residents react
Jose Fowler lives on Bellwood Ave, and said "by and large the park is a very quiet neighbour".
"It's better to have Eden Park as a neighbour than a rental that parties all the time."
Fowler didn't agree that Sunday night was of particular significance for residents.
"To me each night's the same. A Sunday night is no different to Saturday or Friday, there's very little noise spillage from the stadium so I doubt very much whether a Sunday night would be any different to a Friday or Saturday.
"We've all got kids and we've all got reasons for kids getting up at early hours of the morning at the weekends for sport, and we're never affected by the noise that comes from Eden Park, and we are one of the closest neighbours.... there's only three houses between us and the stadium."
Other residents living near Eden Park spoken to by the Herald did not have an issue with the plan to bring day-night cricket to their patch.
Royal Terrace resident Allie Smith said "any event that brings life into the area is a good thing".
"It's exciting to think that by adding Sunday night availability the doors are opened to national and international events which further advertise and develop Eden Park as a key asset to the area."
She said she appreciated the issues raised by the EPNA but felt fixtures at the ground were run effectively.
"All the events that I have witnessed during my time in the area have been well managed pre-event, during and post-event and as locals there is a lot of information given to us around what to expect and how things will be managed."
Fellow Sandringham resident Patrick Bishop said "people are too stuffy".
"We live one street over and you can't hear anything from the stadium."
David Lipanovic lives on Paice Ave, and said as a keen sports fan he was all for more events at the stadium.
"I really like sport, so I don't have an issue with it. It does get annoying people coming in all the time, but to be honest it's a great way to promote New Zealand cricket and just sport in general.
"There's nothing on Sunday nights for sports fans to watch and so the cricket is a nice change. Sunday night, how is it going to affect you really? I'm a big fan of it."
Another resident who asked not to be named took to Twitter to say she will be submitting in favour of the test after receiving the EPNA's letter.
"Stoked Eden Park Neighbours' [Association] let me know that a test is planned for 2018! Will be submitting in favour," she wrote.
She told the Herald she bought her house because of its proximity to Eden Park.
"The more games the better as far as I'm concerned, and concerts if they can get them."
