Ticket sales sluggish for Black Caps clash with India in Napier

McLean Park should be a picture when New Zealand hosts India on Tuesday. Photo / Paul Taylor

It’s not likely to rain and there are still plenty of tickets available.

Bad weather and international cricket at McLean Park have often been unhappy bedfellows over the years, but we should get a full game in when New Zealand host India in Tuesday’s Twenty20 match in Napier.

Fine weather and a temperature of 27 degrees are forecast, with the match scheduled to start at 7.30pm.

The visitors have rested batters Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, from the team that failed to qualify for the final at the men’s T20 World Cup, but still possess plenty of star power.

The Black Caps, meanwhile, are missing just Trent Boult from their main world cup XI.

Tuesday’s clash will be the first international match at McLean Park under Lance Hamilton’s watch. The Central Districts Cricket Association chief executive played a one-day international for New Zealand against Australia there but is finding this role rather different.

Central Districts chief executive Lance Hamilton is learning a lot this week. Photo / Warren Buckland

“There’s a lot of things that I’m doing for the first time, even though I’ve been at the organisation for the last 14 years. There’s certainly been a lot of firsts,’’ Hamilton said.

“All the staff have been doing heaps of work in the lead-up, working alongside New Zealand Cricket, but until the event actually takes place and I get to reflect on it, I’m not a hundred per cent what to be expect to be honest.’’

Ticket sales have been sluggish, perhaps as a result of people’s attention being captured by the women’s Rugby World Cup and New Zealand’s run at the Twenty20 title in Australia.

But with the McLean Park clash being the third in this series against India, which starts in Wellington on Friday, Hamilton is hopeful that Hawke’s Bay interest will build.

“We’re probably looking like having a high walk-up crowd, but we’d certainly encourage people to get in and pre-purchase their tickets, just to avoid the queues and everything like that,’’ said Hamilton.

The ground is said to have recovered well from staging the recent Six60 concert, with McLean Park and New Zealand Cricket curators both declaring it in “good nick.’’