Builder swings deal for cricket hutch with extra appeal

Simon Crawford has found an innovative way of combining business with pleasure.
The ardent cricket fan has come up with a plan to build his office at Cobham Oval and also help Northland Cricket take the ground one step closer to hosting international  matches.
Crawford's building company, Bella Homes, will build a  players' pavilion  to be used as a multi-purpose facility at the ground: an office,  guest changing rooms,  toilet block and  show home.
"It's a nice view, I might have to keep the curtains pulled if there is a cricket match on, or I might not get any work done," he said.
Crawford has big hopes for the  ground's future and sees the   idea as an exciting opportunity for Northland Cricket and Whangarei.
"I can see a time where there is a one-day international match played here, with a Super-14 Rugby match played next door the day after - or the day before - with the rugby and the cricket season overlapping now, it's an exciting possibility."
Crawford said it was a win-win deal for him and Northland Cricket.
"It's pretty prime real estate, you've got your bridge going in right across the road, Porowini Ave coming out over there, the brand new rugby stadium next door and the "Big Box" development up there - it's going to work well for me and for Northland Cricket," Crawford said.
He has recently rebranded his company as Bella Homes and was approached by Northland Cricket chief executive Gary Bell about becoming a naming-rights sponsor to market the new name.
"Gary knew I was local and my family has been involved in cricket here for years and then we starting talking about the possibility of putting a players pavilion here to bring the ground up to international standards and it evolved from there," he said.
Cobham Oval has been a first-class venue for three years, but needs  more  improvements to its facilities to push for international status.
The design may differ a little from a standard cricket building because it will be built in conjunction with Future Proof Building.
"It will be all geared toward sustainability and be eco-friendly and will look good for everyone involved ... we're hoping to start construction at the end of this month and have it completed by the end of March because Australia are touring over here then, which means there will be ICC officials here as well and we'll try and get them to come up to the ground to hopefully add another tick for the ground toward getting international status," Crawford said.
Bell is understandably thrilled to score a naming-rights sponsor and a new building for their base at the same time.
"It's a really good fit for us and for Simon, because he is a cricket fanatic, his boys are both involved with Northland age-group teams and his father, Peter, is a life member so we're really excited about the whole deal," he said.
The final part of the building puzzle - to gain ICC accreditation - will be a new structure between the Mark Cromie Indoor Centre and the sightscreens, where a combined television-commentary position and another hospitality area is planned.
"We won't be starting that until probably after the cricket season, otherwise the place may begin to look like a bomb site," Bell said.