City dresses to impress in match build-up

Napier Inner City Marketing's Zoe Barnes in the central city, where World Cup Cricket is already well into its innings. Photo / Paul Taylor

The first ball in Napier's hosting of the ICC Cricket World Cup may be a week away but the field is well set to create a colourful introduction to the big event.

Napier is the host city for the United Arab Emirates team as well as host ground for three matches, including the Black Caps when they take on Afghanistan on Sunday, March 8.

"It's all coming together now," was how Napier Inner City Marketing manager Zoe Barnes put it as the countdown began. "Part of our objective as one of the seven host cities is to dress the place up and put on plenty of activities."

Yesterday about 1.5km of Cricket World Cup bunting was being put up through the Napier CBD and a "flower pot" display of giant cricket balls had already become a well photographed part of the landscape.

Ms Barnes said months of work steered by Hawke's Bay Tourism and the Napier and Hastings councils, which she also sat in on, had been carried out through regular meetings to put a solid schedule together.

"There has been a lot to tick off."

Part of the activities will be a game called "Whack a Wicket" created by Rick Kirkland which uses giant 4m inflatable wickets and a 2m diameter inflatable ball. The games will be staged at the Sound Shell as part of the pre-match day fun.

There will also be concerts and music, with a very special touch.

A 30-strong group of Afghani performers will be arriving in town from Auckland to put on a special match day (March 8) show at the Sound Shell from 9am.

There will also be performances throughout the cup competition in Napier by the Twin City Stompers, Born to Move dancers as well as various food stalls and a mobile museum of cricket which will be set up in Emerson St between March 3 and 9.

The first "welcome to Napier" will be a mayoral one for the UAE team next Monday between 6pm and 7.30pm at the MTG Hawke's Bay. There will be a powhiri by students of William Colenso College and a Deco dancing performance.

The Afghanistan team will be welcomed by the mayor and invited guests at the MTG on March 6, again at 6pm.

Prior to that members of the Black Caps squad are planning to have an autograph signing session at the Sound Shell between 4.30pm and 5.30pm.

Ms Barnes said Napier Inner City Marketing had embarked on a campaign of contacting shop owners in the CBD to put up cricket posters and signs and messages of welcome to Napier's adopted team, the UAE.