New Zealand Cricket is threatening to abandon New Plymouth's Pukekura Park - one of the country's best-loved provincial grounds.
It says the facilities are no longer up to scratch and it has given the council a year to fix things before the umpire's finger goes up.
Some of the world's top cricketing nations, including the West Indies, Australia and England have played New Zealand sides at Pukekura Park. Photo: Photosport
Cricketing bible Wisden once voted the picturesque Pukekura Park among the six best grounds in the world, but now its days as a venue for first class cricket appear numbered.
Former Taranaki player Roger Stachurski, who was part of the Central Districts' setup in the 1980s, said that would be a huge mistake.
"Oh no, I'd be absolutely gutted, that would be a tragedy, it would be terrible. The history of the place and just the difference of the place.
"I've played on a lot of grounds around the country that are just flat expanses of park and I mean this is just something out of the box; it's just brilliant."
Australia, England and the West Indies have all played at Pukekura Park.
It was at one of those matches that Stachurski first fell in love with the sound of leather on willow.
"The very first game I can remember coming to with my father and my brothers was back in 1967 when New Zealand played Australia here and beat them.
"I think Victor Pollard got seven wickets in the second innings or something and we beat them, and that was one of the things that started to get me turned on to cricket."
Roger Stachurski has been both player and supporter at the ground. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
Stachurski conceded, however, that some of the facilities at the park were now a bit tired, a point Taranaki Cricket general manager Ryan Evans echoed.
"The message has been pretty clear that the facilities at Pukekura Park are not up to scratch and so we're going to have to look at how we address that, so that we can continue to bring cricket here because at the end of the day it's New Zealand Cricket's call where they choose to play cricket."
Evans, however, didn't want to speak directly to the series of bouncers the sport's national body fired off in a letter sent to council as part of discussions about its long-term strategy for the park.
In it, head of cricket operations Richard Brewer criticised the size of the ground, its changing facilities, dining areas, broadcast infrastructure and commentary positions among other gripes, before adding: "Due to the poor state of repair of existing facilities, and the absence of key infrastructure, it is unlikely domestic cricket will continue to be played at Pukekura Park post the 2022-2023 season, without a confirmed plan for future development and a commitment to providing suitable temporary facilities in the interim".
NZ Cricket has a long list of gripes about the ground. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
Mayor shocked by letter
New Plymouth mayor Neil Holdom said the tone of New Zealand Cricket's letter came as a shock.
"Their approach differs to what they had communicated to us previously that there would be an element of flexibility and that they understood council didn't have any funding set aside to upgrade the facilities and that would ultimately be a decision for the next council to take."
Holdom said it would be a pity if first-class cricket no longer came to Pukekura Park but at the end of the day that was a decision for New Zealand Cricket.
The prospect found few fans in New Plymouth.
"It's a great venue, it's perhaps one of the best, most picturesque venues in the world and we should be celebrating that," said one shopper.
Dan took his young family to games there.
"Pukekura Park is wicked; it's such an awesome venue and the kids love to go there."
A customer at Crowded House Bar and Grill was on the same page.
"Well it's a pretty iconic cricket ground for the country so it'd be a damn shame if it did happen, wouldn't it?"
Any high-cost improvements at Pukekura Park would not be included in council budgets until the next long-term plan was approved in 2024.
Photo: Photosport