Cricket: Canterbury change home base

CHRISTCHURCH - The Village Green is back in favour with Canterbury Cricket and will host all of the province's first-class matches there next season.

Hagley Oval, which was criticised by the Players' Association last season, has been removed from the four-day list but will still host the majority of one-day matches.

Canterbury Cricket chief executive Richard Reid said the province was more than happy to use the Village Green at QE II now that a pavilion had been placed on the ground and its facilities modernised.

"It was not suitable when there was just tents and portaloos there but it is a very good wicket and the players like playing there."

Canterbury will play four State Championship matches there next summer, starting in early December.

Reid said he was aware Hagley Oval had not rated highly with the players last season and that "they had a bit of a gripe".

Practice, off-field facilities and the pitch were highlighted as being of concern in an end-of-season survey.

"But the facilities there are what they are and I don't know if the wickets were as bad as some of them seem to make out," Reid said.

The venue for Canterbury's opening State Shield one-day match against Wellington has yet to be confirmed but Rangiora's Recreation Ground was most likely.

Reid said it still had to receive a final warrant of fitness approval from New Zealand Cricket after problems two summers ago forced it off the list.

"But the block is now in its third season and has settled down and is getting better and better."

Timaru's Aorangi Oval, which has been on the circuit in recent seasons, is off the schedule, with the wicket block there having been dug up.

- nzpa