Thursday, 2 April 2015

Hagley Oval made its return to international test cricket on Boxing Day 26 December 2014, with New Zealand taking on Sri Lanka.

Hagley Oval named 'International Cricket Pitch of the Year'

Christchurch City Council's Hagley Oval turf management team has been recognised for its outstanding work preparing Hagley Oval for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.

The team, led by Hagley Oval head grounds person Rupert Bool, were presented with the highly-esteemed award 'International Pitch of the Year' at the New Zealand Cricket awards dinner in Auckland on Wednesday 1 April 2015.

Recreation and Sports Unit Manager John Filsell says this is the first time the accolade has been awarded to a brand new ground and highlights what an achievement this is for the team.

"The commitment and dedication of Rupert and the Hagley Oval turf management team over the past three years have been truly inspiring. The improvements to Hagley Oval make it unrecognizable today compared to three years ago and this is down to the countless hours of hard graft put in by Rupert and the team," Mr Filsell says.

Parks Unit Manager Andrew Rutledge says it's a fitting reward for the Hagley Oval turf management team and Hagley Oval is a great legacy for the people of Christchurch.

"The team has done Christchurch proud delivering a first-class international standard cricket pitch for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, but just as important, this pitch is here to be enjoyed by all Hagley Park visitors and cricketers of all grades and ages for years to come," Mr Rutledge says.

Hagley Oval staged the prestigious opening game of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 between New Zealand and Sri Lanka which was broadcast live to a global audience of over 1.2 billion. It also hosted two other pool matches featuring Pakistan, The West Indies, England and Scotland.

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