World Cup 2011 - Stadia

[Boba Fett]

Can't believe they play cricket at Eden Park now. How short are the straight boundaries?!? Batsman like Dave Warner or Chris Gayle must be itching to bat there...

Forsyth Barr Stadium looking great, but it will be interesting to see how the turf quality lasts. Isn't one of the big problems with stadiums these days getting adequate airflow over the grass (even for non-enclosed stadiums like Wembley)? Doesn't appear that Forsyth Barr has the ability to open up the ends to get a breeze through...

[Jeffles]

The playing surface isn't all that different to what it used to be. They've just moved the pitch 45 degrees clockwise from how it used to be, removing the absurd 45m boundaries behind gully. Sure it's short straight but this ground is more compatible with ICC playing field dimensions for ODI and first-class cricket than it was before, which from memory say 106m straight and 136m square.

It may change the way cricket teams play there. If it's so short straight, you'd have to avoid bowling full, which is interesting because Eden Park takes spin better than any of the other major pitches in NZ. You've now got 70 boundaries square, only a fraction less than the SCG and realtive to the straight boundaries, it will encourage outfield catches or bowling outside off stump.

[crabs]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/cricket/news/ ... d=10704466

Cricket: Batsmen have the edge

Eden Park's new layout means cricketers can be rewarded with a six for botched shot-making but experts maintain it has improved the international standard of the ground. There was criticism in the wake of last month's Twenty20 international.

Batsmen now have a better chance of miscuing top-edged sixes in the reverse 'V' over the wicketkeeper's head - as occurred with edges skewed by Shahid Afridi and Ross Taylor over the third man fence. It was the same last night. Several boundaries were fluked strokes and 180 of the 565 runs came in the normal and reverse Vs.

The argument for changing to a traditional oval from a mis-shapen polygon is that the ground is better balanced for batsmen. Those who profited from left-handed cuts and right-handed hooks to a 51m boundary have had it extended by around 15m. The pressure points have moved. Straight-hitting has been reduced by about seven metres to 68m and top-edges only have to travel 48m (it is 58m to either end from the middle of the pitch).

Some primary schoolchildren might fancy their chances of hitting a six under those circumstances - even after the temporary rugby seating has been rolled back in front of the main stands to make more room. Former New Zealand cricketer Dion Nash played three tests and six one-day internationals at the ground.

The former Auckland representative says some might struggle with the change: "It might be a little short straight but my gut feeling is the ground is more balanced and less quirky," he says. "Whether it is good or bad and regardless of complaints, players now have to adapt."

Groundsman Mark Perham says: "It is never going to be a huge ground but it is more even. We know it is bigger because we're putting out an extra seven metres of boundary rope. You are always going to restricted by the stands to a certain degree."

Perham admits over-pitched or even good-length balls risk getting dispatched down the ground easier and scoop or ramp shots come into play.

"It's not like players deliberately miscue balls over the keeper for six. But bowlers will aim to pitch it shorter, because they don't want to be hit for easy boundaries straight."

[Jeffles]

A texter to ABC Grandstand Cricket once asked Kerry O'Keeffe to describe his solitary Test six. I remember it vividly. it went something like this.

KOK: Glenn (Mitchell, his co-commentator at the time): What was the longest Test boundary during my Test career.
GM: Adelaide Oval, straight.
KOK: Correct. And the shortest?
GM: Eden Park, fine leg
KOK: Bingo. I top edged a bouncer on the hook from Brian Collinge for my only test six.

In other words, it's a small ground and it will always have short boundaries. At lest this move evens things up a bit.

[crabs]

Grass has been laid in Dunedin...

[Jeffles]

Better value than the Korean Housewife.

[the crow]

lets see if it grows

[Rob]

Dunedin looks like a swimming venue without the pool.

[Boba Fett]

Choice bro...

[Jeffles]

They'll have to get the electric lights to assist with photosynthesis. Dunedin isn't exactly sunny without a translucent roof.

Or go the FieldTurf or Grassmaster.

[Simmo79]

Dunedin looks like a swimming venue without the pool.

true dat

[hot_dogma]

Is the end just going to be open?

[Jeffles]

Open for "super" games with temp seats brought in for bigger events like the All Blacks or concerts.

[Egan]

Looks magic! Will be awesome for concerts in that venue as well!

[Timbo]

Watching the Super Rugby game from Eden last night.... Cannot believe that they still play cricket there.

NZ really screwed the pooch on this one. Building a rose-bowl style cricket ground in Auckland and coupling that with a state-of-the-art Rugby stadium would have been fantastic.

Alas.