Want a free ticket to see the BLACKCAPS play Bangladesh in the ODI at AMI Stadium in February? Just be one of the first 500 paying customers on Tuesday to watch the Wizards take on the Firebirds in the HRV Cup you’ll get a ticket to the international.
The giveaway is part of a joint promotion to profile the HRV Cup and showcase Mainpower Oval.
The excitement is building in the town with the likes of BLACKCAPS Jeetan Patel and James Franklin gracing the field to square off against the Wizards including Peter Fulton and Chris Martin, on the picturesque purpose built ground.
Executive director of Canterbury Country Cricket Peter Devlin has been behind the push to develop MainPower Oval and attract big games there. Eventually he’d like international fixtures to come to the quiet Canterbury town. With the Under 19 quarter final between New Zealand and Australia on Sunday, then the Wizards’ game on Tuesday, it’s a chance for the locals to prove they’re dedicated to having international games on their home soil and be rewarded for it in the process.
The MainPower Oval was originally part of the Rangiora recreational ground used by the local high school, but approximately six years ago the decision was made by Canterbury Country Cricket to develop the area into a cricket specific ground. They approached the Waimakarari District Council, raised over $600,000 and set to work creating a Waikari clay cricket block, grassy embankments and a purpose built pavilion with large player changing rooms, a dining and lounge rooms and meeting rooms upstairs. “It really was a labour of love from the locals and the cricket community,” he said. “From Kaikoura to Rakaia, everyone in the Canterbury country area was behind it.”
But it could have not been done without the help of local businesses and people from the community. “We had plenty of local support, from donations of concrete to different things to help us complete the building,” Devlin said. And he hopes that support comes out again on Tuesday to cheer on the Wizards. “It’s a great place to bring the kids and pack a picnic.”
The goal is to attract international fixtures to the ground over the next few years and the team behind MainPower Oval are working hard to ensure the ground is up to international specifications. “It’s got to be one of the better blocks in New Zealand,” he said. “We’re striving for international fixtures, it’s very picturesque and we are keen to continue developing the ground.”
