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Auckland Council paving the way for NZ Cricket to pull up stumps from Eden Park with Western Springs deal

June 8, 2018

The motorsport will move to a new home near the airport.

New Zealand Cricket's desires to pull up stumps from Eden Park as the go-to venue for international matches in Auckland has taken another step forward today, with a deal finally inked between Auckland Council and Auckland Speedway.

The deal sees Auckland Speedway move away from Western Springs to Colin Dale Park, freeing up a viable central Auckland venue to be renovated to host the Black Caps in future summers.

Auckland mayor Phil Goff said the option would be looked at.

Captains Kane Williamson and Joe Root shake hands after the coin toss.
New Zealand Blackcaps v England. 1st day/night test match. Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand. Day 1, Thursday 22 March 2018. © Copyright Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.Photosport.nz

"We are over a third of New Zealand's population but we don't get much of a look in the cricket and that's because we don't have a suitable ground at this point."

Eden Park wants to keep cricket saying under utilization is their greatest challenge, but the writing could already be on the wall after comments made by NZC chief executive David White two weeks ago.

A recent proposal from the RFA (Reigional Facilities Auckland) stated the desire to see Western Springs as a "world class cricket ground for all forms of cricket," - something that White is supportive of.

"Auckland is currently missing out significantly on international cricket exposure due, primarily, to the lack of a cost-effective, financially-viable venue," White said in a statement at the time.

"Eden Park - the only ICC-sanctioned arena in New Zealand’s most populous city, is unaffordable for all but the biggest and, by definition, the rarest of international cricket fixtures.

"Additionally, Eden Park's small size and rectangular, football-shaped playing field continually risks compromising the integrity of cricket matches hosted there. Resource consent restrictions and a lack of fan-friendly, cricket-specific features at the arena limits NZC’s ability to schedule a greater number of games in the city."

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