Napier turfed out as venue for England ODI
Wellington [New Zealand], Sept 20 (ANI): Napier's McLean Park has lost its right to host the second ODI of the five-match series between England and New Zealand because of delay in re-turfing the ground.
ANI
Sep 20, 2017 18:04 IST
Wellington [New Zealand], Sept 20 (ANI): Napier's McLean Park has lost its right to host the second ODI of the five-match series between England and New Zealand because of delay in re-turfing the ground.
As a result, the match, which is slated to be held on February 28, has been shifted to Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.
Announcing the news, Napier City Council CEO Wayne Jack said that the inclement weather in Auckland, where the new surface is being grown, has postponed the re-turfing process.
"We've been advised by our sportsground turf specialist up in Auckland that the volatile weather conditions have obstructed the opportunity to get this specialised grass grown and we haven't been able to access the 7600 tonnes of special grade sand we need to lay the carpet in time," ESPNcricinfo quoted Jack as saying.
"Sadly, despite huge effort on all sides, these are factors outside of our control. We're now revising all our time frames,' he added.
It should be noted that this is the third consecutive ODI that has been moved out of McLean Park following a game against Australia in February was abandoned due to poor drainage.
The subsequent match against South Africa in March was then shifted Hamilton while the delay to complete the McLean Park outfield also forced New Zealand Cricket (NZC) to move the January 2018 ODI against Pakistan.(ANI)
Get the App
