*Unofficial* New Zealand Black Caps Thread

[Mr Miyagi]

i know for a fact there's been more than a few games played on a sticky wicket at the basin on the weekends after dark

Yeah - I am sure they've played a day/night game at the Basin too, whats the relevance Flem?

 

[Flem274*]

you mentioning the basin being accessed by the public reminded me and presented the opportunity for innuendo. i'm not going to turn that low hanging fruit down.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

you mentioning the basin being accessed by the public reminded me and presented the opportunity for innuendo. i'm not going to turn that low hanging fruit down.

Too subtle at the start, too blunt at the end. Your posting is going the way of Ian Botham's career :P

It turned too fast.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Scotland's win over England must help Bradburn's chances of getting the NZ coaching job (if he wants it). He could move back to ND and hang out with the whole NZ bowling attack

 

[RxGM]

So for a former Aucklander like me, wouldn't Western Springs be a ****ing nightmare for anyone who's not out west or central to get to? East or South, that's a ridiculous journey especially at peak times getting through and out the other side of the city/Spag Junction. North Shore, the same (unless there's a back way I can't remember). Seems to me like that's a logistical nightmare waiting to happen. At least Eden Park is before the city for all but the Shore folk.

I am waiting with the most clenched of buttocks that the Mount gets quality D/N games again next summer and if it gets a D/N Test, I will spontaneously combust. The prospect of the Rising Tide and its plethora of craft beers and dumplings, wander down to a Test then wherever else at the Mount is too good.

Couple of comments about Western Springs, as a stadium.
There is no easy public transport to there currently, the closest train station is 25min walk (at Morningside – which is adjacent to Eden Park). There are buses to and from the city, and I would expect that AT will put on extra event buses to and from Britomart. The new North West Light Rail will have a station probably 5min walk away, if it goes ahead.
Driving in and out requires you to use Western Springs interchange which is pretty chaotic. Waterview tunnel does speed up your route south. Parking will just be in surrounding streets and they use the adjacent rugby field for parking for Stock Car.
So for test/day cricket getting to the ground via car will be fine, leaving will be a pretty bad.
For day night cricket driving there will at 2pm will be okish, and leaving at 9pm will be fine.
As a cricket watching venue one is has a large quite steep embankment to the north and west, which is a good and bad thing, Will be pretty great to watch cricket there down the bowlers arm but this embankment will cast a long shadow over ground in evenings and influence light.
It will be interesting to see how much money they spend on drainage. The ground is on a Lava Flow, which can have good drainage, but standing water level is very shallow, as seen by the adjacent lake. When i have played rugby there it has been pretty boggy.
There are no bars in the immediate vicinity, though there is a Zoo and Western Springs Park adjacent to chill out in during lunch breaks, and MoTaT if its wet.
I expect Auckland Cricket to resist moving though as they want Eden Park Trust Board to buy them out of the number 2 ground, as the trust board wants to develop that land for Hotels etc, and Auckland Cricket probably wants some of the revenue off that.

 

[NZTailender]

Surely not...anywhere East Auckland is head towards Greenlane and keep going, right? No need to touch the city.

I live in Mt Wellington. For me to get to Eden park by train is to goto Britomart from Panmure, then train from there. Or the 70 to Newmarket and then the Outer Link and a short walk. There's not direct way on public transport.

The only solution 'fair for all' Aucklanders as you've said, would be somewhere central. Unfortuantely there's no large swatches of vacant land, unless you get rid of the roll-on-roll-off car area at the wharf and build there...or reclaim some of the harbour.

Or down by Silo Park, perhaps, but then that starts becoming too much of a stretch of the legs for some of the lazier folk.

 

[NZTailender]

Or not.

Haha I saw that this morning and thought "Well at least things are looking up for Otago"

I wonder if Nicol will transition into coaching...

 

[Mr Miyagi]

I live in Mt Wellington. For me to get to Eden park by train is to goto Britomart from Panmure, then train from there. Or the 70 to Newmarket and then the Outer Link and a short walk. There's not direct way on public transport.

Yeah Eden Park isn't easily accessible for anyone besides those that live nearby it.

The only solution 'fair for all' Aucklanders as you've said, would be somewhere central. Unfortuantely there's no large swatches of vacant land,

Well there is the Domain and Vic Park if the Waterfront Stadium is a no go.

Eden Park has a rich history for the All Blacks and for NZ Cricket. But the reality is for Auckland Cricket, Auckland Rugby, and NZ Cricket, its off central location puts off greater attendances. Yes the ABs will regularly sell out there, but everyone else using the stadium suffers from its location.

 

[NZTailender]

Yeah Eden Park isn't easily accessible for anyone besides those that live nearby it.



Well there is the Domain and Vic Park if the Waterfront Stadium is a no go.

Eden Park has a rich history for the All Blacks and for NZ Cricket. But the reality is for Auckland Cricket, Auckland Rugby, and NZ Cricket, its off central location puts off greater attendances. Yes the ABs will regularly sell out there, but everyone else using the stadium suffers from its location.

Vic park is a lovely open space and common area, ditto the Domain. if you're going to erect more concrete and steel ideally it'd be where there is already concrete and steel to be knocked down.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

Vic park is a lovely open space and common area, ditto the Domain. if you're going to erect more concrete and steel ideally it'd be where there is already concrete and steel to be knocked down.

Does it need to be a 50,000 plus stadium or just a cricket oval for 10,000 plus?

All we need is something like the Basin for FC and tests.

If Auckland does a super stadium, it will be the waterfront, and will need government financial help. Ratepayers won't want it on their own.

 

[SteveNZ]

I live in Mt Wellington. For me to get to Eden park by train is to goto Britomart from Panmure, then train from there. Or the 70 to Newmarket and then the Outer Link and a short walk. There's not direct way on public transport.

The only solution 'fair for all' Aucklanders as you've said, would be somewhere central. Unfortuantely there's no large swatches of vacant land, unless you get rid of the roll-on-roll-off car area at the wharf and build there...or reclaim some of the harbour.

Or down by Silo Park, perhaps, but then that starts becoming too much of a stretch of the legs for some of the lazier folk.

It's just a putridly connected city and it always will be. Hence why I have zero interest in living there again.

Even the city doesn't work from the place I'm from, Howick, because there's no trains with cooee and bugger buses.

If I want to live in a big city I'll go to Melbourne, where nothing is an issue transport wise - apart from cars.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

It's just a putridly connected city and it always will be. Hence why I have zero interest in living there again.

Even the city doesn't work from the place I'm from, Howick, because there's no trains with cooee and bugger buses.

If I want to live in a big city I'll go to Melbourne, where nothing is an issue transport wise - apart from cars.

Dude, Auckland will be fine once we have flying cars or jet packs.

But yeah, Eden Park is a royal pain in the behind for much of Auckland and our public transport for Mt Smart isn't much better.

People may look at Auckland's population and wonder why the crowds are not in attendance, getting there is half the problem.

Nothing is damn centralised. Everything has been Ad Hoc with very limited future planning involved at all.

 

[CharlesLara]

It's just a putridly connected city and it always will be. Hence why I have zero interest in living there again.

Even the city doesn't work from the place I'm from, Howick, because there's no trains with cooee and bugger buses.

If I want to live in a big city I'll go to Melbourne, where nothing is an issue transport wise - apart from cars.

This is 100% accurate. Takes me on average 30-40 mins in the morning on the bus from Ponsonby to Parnell.... I mean I'm still a West Auckland boy at heart, but the council couldn't give two ****s about the outer suburbs.

Also, transport aside, most people don't actually enjoy watching cricket in Eden Park. I try get to every Aces home 4-dayers for at least a day (bleak existence I lead, I know), because from cricket watching experience its FAAAAR more enjoyable. I been living in Auckland for over 20 years now, but still don't get as misty eyed as I did watching games at Kingsmead as a kid. Grass banks, deck chairs, family etc. I personally think NZ's "boutique grounds" is where our strength lies. I felt as though the WC did a GREAT job at advertising that very string we have in our bow.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

We just need to pay some Germans to redesign the whole of Auckland

 

[SteveNZ]

This is 100% accurate. Takes me on average 30-40 mins in the morning on the bus from Ponsonby to Parnell.... I mean I'm still a West Auckland boy at heart, but the council couldn't give two ****s about the outer suburbs.

Also, transport aside, most people don't actually enjoy watching cricket in Eden Park. I try get to every Aces home 4-dayers for at least a day (bleak existence I lead, I know), because from cricket watching experience its FAAAAR more enjoyable. I been living in Auckland for over 20 years now, but still don't get as misty eyed as I did watching games at Kingsmead as a kid. Grass banks, deck chairs, family etc. I personally think NZ's "boutique grounds" is where our strength lies. I felt as though the WC did a GREAT job at advertising that very string we have in our bow.

40 minutes to go basically one suburb over!! Pathetic. I mean this, I pity you. Auckland robs you of 1-2, even 3 hours (my friend's total commute time from the 'affordable' Auckland suburb he just bought in - which is on the other side of the Bombays) of your day. It's an isthmus - there's not really anywhere to go, there's nothing that's going to solve the traffic nightmares except telling everyone to go live somewhere else for a year or two while they fix it. Trying to create a decent transport system while the 1.4m or whatever ever it is Aucklanders still live there...wowza. That's a shitstorm.

Auckland is just so poorly served for sport, it's sad. At least they upgraded Kingsland so you have a decent place to graze/drink before the game, to beat traffic a bit. The best solution is a waterfront stadium, with park and rides at existing train stations/buses. Western Springs would take me the best part of two hours from Howick, based on Charles' bus journey. Nup.

Come live in the Mount guys, everyone else is. You'll see local cricketing celebrities, use the newly found spare time in your day for golf (on much better courses), drink in better establishments with less wankers (and not pay the $16 a pint I paid near Silo Park) and enjoy a better climate.

 

[_Ed_]

If Auckland does a super stadium, it will be the waterfront, and will need government financial help. Ratepayers won't want it on their own.

While I like the idea, I do think Christchurch needs this more. That rickety little thing in Addington is half a decade past its use-by date (although cricket's struck a bit of gold with Hagley).

Come live in the Mount guys, everyone else is. You'll see local cricketing celebrities, use the newly found spare time in your day for golf (on much better courses), drink in better establishments with less wankers (and not pay the $16 a pint I paid near Silo Park) and enjoy a better climate.

Most of this also applies to up north. Apart from the cricketing celebrities, that is. They're all at the bloody Mount.

 

[NZTailender]

40 minutes to go basically one suburb over!! Pathetic. I mean this, I pity you. Auckland robs you of 1-2, even 3 hours (my friend's total commute time from the 'affordable' Auckland suburb he just bought in - which is on the other side of the Bombays) of your day. It's an isthmus - there's not really anywhere to go, there's nothing that's going to solve the traffic nightmares except telling everyone to go live somewhere else for a year or two while they fix it. Trying to create a decent transport system while the 1.4m or whatever ever it is Aucklanders still live there...wowza. That's a shitstorm.

Auckland is just so poorly served for sport, it's sad. At least they upgraded Kingsland so you have a decent place to graze/drink before the game, to beat traffic a bit. The best solution is a waterfront stadium, with park and rides at existing train stations/buses. Western Springs would take me the best part of two hours from Howick, based on Charles' bus journey. Nup.

Come live in the Mount guys, everyone else is. You'll see local cricketing celebrities, use the newly found spare time in your day for golf (on much better courses), drink in better establishments with less wankers (and not pay the $16 a pint I paid near Silo Park) and enjoy a better climate.

Part of the problem is people and the culture of transportation in New Zealand. Everyone loves their cars. It's freedom. But nothing is going to change until people get out of their cars, but you end up with Schrodingers transit system. People will take it if it's cheaper, but it'll only be cheaper if more people use it (maybe), but also, no one wants to pay more rates or taxes to make it better or cheaper. Even if it did all of that, you'd still get morons driving alone in their car because a lot of our societal transporting culture is built around the car, and people's live are so intrinsically attached to that, you need a greater culture shift beyond dropping a zone fare by 50+ cents.

At the moment they're transitioning the transport system into a new one but there's still a lack of de-centralised linking (a lot of things still require a transfer in the city) between outer suburbs. It also doesn't help that in trying to improve PT with dedicated bus/transit lanes, people just see that as empty space for their car that will magically improve their commute, ignoring that 3 or 4 lanes doesn't really matter when you still all have to merge into 1 down the way.

And I'd love to move and live elsewhere, but I also love my job of which there happens to be a grand total of 6 or so in the country, all of which are sewn up until a person retires, dies, or has a nervous breakdown.

 

[SteveNZ]

While I like the idea, I do think Christchurch needs this more. That rickety little thing in Addington is half a decade past its use-by date (although cricket's struck a bit of gold with Hagley).


Most of this also applies to up north. Apart from the cricketing celebrities, that is. They're all at the bloody Mount.

True. Or the Hawke's Bay. Craft breweries, golf courses, beaches, no traffic, good schools - I ain't moving.

NZTail must be on a motza if he's one of only six of his type in the country. The nervous breakdown part is a bit ominous though...

 

[Mr Miyagi]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/crick...-million-community-cricket-centre-in-hamilton

A $4 million cricket hub could be built beside Hamilton's Seddon Park - and not with ratepayer money.

Northern Districts Cricket wants the centre as a home and training base for its players, and says it can find the funds.

The community cricket centre would be on the Bryce Street side and have indoor training lanes and office space.
The project would also involve revamping the Gate D entrance to Seddon Park.


The project would also involve revamping the Gate D entrance to Seddon Park.

Northern Districts would also double the number of outdoor grass wickets and revamp the entrance to Seddon Park's Gate D.



Hamilton City councillors like the idea - especially as they're not being asked for money - but on Thursday struggled with how they could formally express their support.
"Everyone we have shown the concept to is interested in this," Northern Districts chief executive Ben MacCormack said.




"Everyone we have shown the concept to is interested in this," Northern Districts chief executive Ben MacCormack said in a Thursday presentation to council.

"It allows us to be a 365 day sport rather than a summer sport."

The centre would be used by first-class cricketers as well as younger players and community cricketers, he said.


Plans for the two-year project have already been developed with Fosters Construction Ltd and Chow:Hill Architects.


Council wouldn't be asked to contribute to the build, though MacCormack hoped Northern Districts would get a favourable rate on their lease after spending on the area.

Northern Districts plans to fund construction through various means, including gaming trusts, and has partnerships which could bring construction costs down, he said.

The project is a situation "where other people are paying the bill for what I believe would be pretty good city benefit overall," council's general manager of events Sean Murray said.

The plan would involve permanently closing Bryce Street between Seddon Road and Tristram Street - otherwise the space would be too small, he said.

Councillors liked the idea, but spent much of the discussion deciding whether the committee could "approve" the centre or just "support" it.

Mayor Andrew King started his debate with a contemplative pause.

His subsequent push to approve the project prompted governance warnings that it could be beyond the committee's authority.

King withdrew the motion, adding "bureaucracy wins again" in his debate speech.

Chair Paula Southgate was happy to stick with "support".

"I don't want to commit council to something where details are yet to be fleshed through," she said, "but then I don't want to stand in the way of Northern Districts going ahead and doing the good work that they're doing in seeking their sponsorship."

Councillor Dave Macpherson agreed.

"I'd love to say we approve it right now and start building tomorrow, thanks, but it's not legally possible."

For the lone dissenter, former traffic cop Cr Leo Tooman, the issue was closing Bryce Street.

"Once that road is gone, you're never going to get it back."

Councillors voted 9-1 to support the project, with Cr Leo Tooman in opposition.

Crs Mark Bunting and James Casson were not present for the vote, and Cr Rob Pascoe was absent.

Council's support is dependent on the project being completed at no cost to council, meeting all regulatory compliance conditions, and council open space planning staff being included in the design of part of the precinct.

The final proposal and an agreement with Northern Districts Cricket will come back to council for final approval.
What is Northern Districts Cricket planning?

* New building including office space, possible cafe and indoor cricket nets
* Fan zone area to accommodate welcoming entry into Seddon Park, area for food vendors, children's activities, bands and public facilities
* Level entry into stadium by re-contouring land
* Provide a facility with two outdoor cricket nets, either by retaining existing cricket nets and building an additional one or by building two new nets

Source: Northern Districts Cricket

More bright times for ND.

It is a shame they have to split their locations so much between Hamilton, Mount, Whangarei and wherever else.

 

[Athlai]

Bay of Plenty should fall into CD, May balance things more