Last weekend I attended the Dunedin Craft Beer and Food Festival. What a well organised, delicious and entertaining event. The only downsides were the two punishing admin-focused MCs and the weather. I was one of those MCs so that's an easy fix and the weather didn't matter because the stadium has a roof. Seven thousand Kiwis laughing, eating, drinking and talking about beer in a warm dry bubble. The best thing about this festival - it will never be rained off. Which got me thinking about domestic cricket in New Zealand. We have a few problems there. Namely weather, crowds, vibe and rugby. But what can be done?
How about a season launching festival of cricket that's guaranteed to go ahead rain or shine? The cricket equivalent of the Wellington Sevens. Which was of course a great event before it had its heart ripped out by nerds. I'm suggesting a 3 day 20 Twenty tournament at Forsyth Barr Stadium, yearly on the 3rd Friday of November. Aces v Kings v Stags v Volts v Firebirds v Knights. All the big names, head to head in a three day cauldron of cricket under a rainproof roof.
Of course there are problems that need to be addressed. 1 The ground is small and rectangular. 2 Dropping in a pitch that holds together for three days could be challenging. 3. It would need an amazing name. 4 The roof is low and the walls plastic.
So let's turn those weakness into strengths. A small ground means more boundaries and party people love boundaries. Who cares if everyone scores 300? This is entertainment, let's not get precious. Throw down a new astro turf each night. It won't be perfect but it will do.
Every kid has smashed a window growing up playing cricket in the backyard. So who wouldn't want to see the professionals smash the Forsyth Barr live? We could even put up a row of smashable million dollar prize windows high up over cow corner. Give the players something aim at.
