A marathon season of international cricket at the Bay Oval at Mount Maunganui has been recognised with a New Zealand Cricket Turf Management award for the best international short-format pitches in the country.
In 13 years since the first sod was turned on March 1, 2005, on former wasteland at Blake Park, the Bay Oval has been transformed into an international cricket venue that has earned the praise of players, coaches, officials and cricket fans alike.
Last season, Bay Oval turf manager Jared Carter and his team were in match-day mode on numerous occasions as the immaculate oval hosted 15 international short-format matches.
They began with two Under-19 Cricket World Cup warm-up matches preceding the Black Caps-West Indies game in early January, followed by six round-robin Under 19 Cricket World Cup games and the final which all attracted worldwide attention, before the Black Caps squared off against Pakistan and England.
The international encounters were rounded out by two White Ferns matches against the West Indies women.