Cricket in the biggest city in Aotearoa
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Just look at that. A picture from earlier this week that tells a lot more than 1,000 words.
To be fair, Tamaki-Makaurau has been hammered over the last week and is struggling to deal with rainfall of this magnitude. Even the tennis courts have been hard to play on.
But it has highlighted the incredible neglect (not) offered to cricket facilities in our biggest city. This has been obvious for generations, and played out cynically when decisions were made during the planning of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
But if ever you want some symbolism of how Auckland Cricket prioritises things it’s that photo.
A pitiful piece of ground without anything near its support its base next to its mega funded taxpayer neighbour with its self-appointed National Stadium moniker. It’s reached parody proportions.
The symbolism of the rugby ground draining beautifully and elegantly in shifting it down the hill to a cricket ground is there for all of us to see.
Cricket fans want to see Auckland cricket move from the now sodden Mobil forecourt.
NZ Cricket wants to see Auckland cricket move from the newly sodden Mobil forecourt.
New Zealand Cricket wants a home for our summer sport in our biggest city.
And then there are the corporates. They are sick of getting bussed down the road to Hamilton for a knees up.
The Mount is a superior corporate venue, but it’s a longer trip and the transport options are diminishing.
So what has Cricket Auckland done to mitigate things. Well there was Colin Maiden, an obvious short term substitute, but you get the feeling the establishment never bought into, and now too has had drainage issues, and it’s a bit embarrassing.
There is only one body that doesn’t get the need to move to Western Springs, and that’s Cricket Auckland. Well maybe two, as Speedway are digging their wheels in, and nothing is easy in Auckland.
But given that it appears as if neither Auckland side will play another home match this season, you would have thought there might be some navel gazing.
The annual stipend from the so called Eden Park Trust is a self-serving rort. It means Auckland cricket is better funded that other major association which is cool. It also means that Auckland as a potential home of international cricket is, well, suboptimal. And there is no thought given to the greater good.
This once in a hundred flood which happens every couple of years may be the much needed kick up the arse for Auckland cricket needs to get its act in order.
Because, until now, common sense has failed.