Cricket: Drunks out for a duck

Drunks and hooligans be warned. Any misbehaviour at today's opening Chappell-Hadlee one-day cricket match at Eden Park and you will be marched from the ground.

That's the get-tough message from New Zealand Cricket and the Eden Park Trust Board to ensure a safe day for the fans and Australian cricketers, who endured some missiles and verbal abuse at the Basin Reserve last summer.

Cricket-lovers will still be able to cheer and scream their support, even spark the odd Mexican Wave.

"But we have no sympathy and no tolerance for someone deliberately throwing something at a fielder," said New Zealand cricket administration manager Tim Murdoch.

He said other activity that might be inappropriate included "loud and drunken behaviour that brings the enjoyment of the game into question for other spectators, violence, maybe abusive and foul language if it's directed at someone".

When the Eden Park gates open at 12.30pm, security guards will take a role similar to a doorman at a nightclub to stop people taking alcohol into the ground, a ban on large plastic bottles of one litre and bigger, cans and glassware.

And just to press the message home, there will be broadcasts at the ticket gate about the "no tolerance" policy for general misbehaviour, which will be at the discretion of security guards.

Mr Murdoch said the game did not want a repeat of Basin Reserve incidents, which resulted in talks with the Australian team management and security officers about crowd control.

He said crowd behaviour had improved at the remaining internationals last summer and New Zealand Cricket had picked up on several pluses that came from the Lions rugby tour to do with behaviour and transport.

Eden Park Trust Board chief executive John Alexander said the aim was not to rule with an iron fist, but to ensure everyone had an enjoyable day.

"Most licensed premises these days do make it clear to patrons what the rules are, and we are just going on the front foot and saying, 'These are the rules'," Mr Alexander said.

He said Eden Park had two family areas for the match, in the ASB Bank and West stands, following the success of family areas in the past two rugby seasons.

New Zealand Cricket and the board are encouraging people to arrive early. The match starts at 2pm.