CRICKET - Clean bill of health for Cobham Oval

Northland cricket officials are hoping to host the State Shield final this summer after Cobham Oval was given the green light by national inspectors last week.
Northland CEO Gary Bell has high hopes for Northern Districts' State Shield season with a home final already pencilled in for Cobham Oval early next year.
"The State Shield final will almost certainly be played up here - but that relies on Northern Districts being the top qualifier and gaining a home final," Bell said.
Hamilton's Seddon Park is the normal first-choice ground for Northern Districts' home games but that venue will be being preparing for an international fixture, offering Cobham Oval the chance to host one of the marquee events of the New Zealand cricket season.
The drawback is that Northern Districts need to end the season on top of the round robin series in the one-day competition.
That means a big improvement will be necessary after they finished a disappointing fourth in the competition last season.
Cobham Oval will be the venue for the Northern Knights' one-day matches against the Central Stags, on January 2, and the Wellington Firebirds on January 6, and will also hold a charity game that could further enhance its reputation, Bell believes.
"With the charity game for the (North Haven) hospice on November 10, that will also allow us to profile the ground with a lot of people from New Zealand Cricket attending - including Justin Bourne, the new CEO - it gives them the chance to see what we've got, so we're pretty excited about it."
Cobham Oval's first-class season was given a clean bill of health last week after the ground underwent its annual pre-season "warrant of fitness" inspection by New Zealand Cricket's turf manager Jared Carter.
He said the cricket block wasn't entirely up to scratch last year but work done since then has seen the problems ironed out.
Carter, who has been NZC's senior turf manager for two years, said the progress Northland Cricket and its partners had made in maintaining the venue saw the facility ready for what he was sure would be a successful season.
"The report for Cobham is very good, it's a new ground, fantastic ground, with a great outfield, great pavilion and good practise facilities.
"I'm sure now with the new contracts in place the pitch and practise facilities will be up there as well," he said.
Bell said the Whangarei District Council had contracted Recreational Turf Services to run the ground staff.
"So there are three groups that are involved in getting the right result for Cobham Oval, it's a good relationship, we're always talking to get the right product for the players," he said.
He said you could hear plenty about a venue but it wasn't until you had been there for a match that you really experienced it.
Bell is now confident that the ground can assume the mantle of the top Northern Districts cricket ground, outside of Seddon Park.