Construction of the North Otago Cricket Association’s $345,000 pavilion is likely to be completed in early October, before the 2018-19 cricket season gets under way.
The association hosted a walkthrough on Friday to update stakeholders on how the project at Centennial Park was progressing. They included Waitaki District Council staff and elected members.
North Otago Cricket Association chairman Peter Cameron said with representative rugby, in the form of the Heartland Championship, finishing later than in the past, cricket was forced to relocate from its traditional home at Whitestone Contracting Stadium.
"It’s come about basically with the strain that there’s been on individual facilities between winter and summer codes. With rugby, particularly the Heartland rugby, going on a longer distance now to the end of October, it’s meant that our cricket preparation couldn’t happen for our wicket blocks so we had to do something.
"We agreed to move approximately on to what was considered to be the back field at Centennial Park."
When completed, the two-storey structure will feature an area for players on the ground floor, where equipment used by the associations developments officers will be stored.
The second floor will be used as office space for the development officers and meetings, and scorers and management teams will work from there when games are being played.
The pavilion will be used in conjunction with the Excelsior sports club building, which will provide improved changing rooms and ablution facilities, as well as social space for tea and lunch breaks, and post-match presentations.
"It’ll be ideal to have it all in one place," Mr Cameron said.
A code of compliance was on track to be signed off in the "first or second week of October", he said.
He looked forward to having the pavilion ready for the coming cricket season, which will include Hawke Cup fixtures and visits from the Otago Sparks and Otago A and Canterbury A, who are scheduled to play a three-day game in Oamaru.
A primary schools tournament is also being staged at the venue in January. The project was funded by the council, Otago Community Trust, Lotteries Grants Board and other donors.
