Centennial Park in Oamaru has again failed to pass muster as a top domestic cricket ground, but its problems could lead to a rare double treat for Dunedin fans.
A twenty/20 game between Otago and Auckland was to have been played in Oamaru on Friday.
But New Zealand Cricket has put the kibosh on Centennial Park's hopes of hosting Otago for the first time in four years by deciding the ground is too dry to handle the game.
That has prompted a hasty rescheduling of the twenty/20 fixture to the University Oval, where it will be played at 4pm, just three and a-half hours before the Highlanders-Brumbies Super 14 game at Carisbrook.
The chief executives of the Otago Cricket Association (Ross Dykes) and the Otago Rugby Football Union (Richard Reid) are now considering ideas to attract supporters to both events.
"I'll be talking to Richard about what we can do.
Hopefully we can sort something out to encourage people to both come to the cricket and get to the rugby," Dykes told the Otago Daily Times yesterday.
"That seems like the sensible idea because they're both fairly important occasions.
"The University Oval is set for a big week, with twenty/20 games now scheduled for Friday, Sunday and Wednesday.
"Normally, the OCA might struggle to promote three games in six days, but helping its cause is the fact Otago is in red-hot form and already looks like the favourite to win the title.
"I'd hate to put the mockers on them but they've passed 200 three games in a row, which is very good," Dykes said.
"And the fact our batting is flourishing without [Brendon] McCullum, [Craig] Cumming and [Neil] Broom is a real credit to the other guys."
Dykes said Centennial Park had been inspected early yesterday by New Zealand Cricket turf manager Jared Carter.
The block had completely dried out after a weekend of extreme temperatures and it was too risky to try to get water back into the block and then get the top dry in time for the game.
It is the second time in the past three summers Centennial Park has lost the right to host a domestic game.
But Dykes said there was no suggestion North Otago cricket officials had let the side down.
"This is just a set of circumstances.
"Who would have predicted a couple of days of 30degC?" he said.
"But I wouldn't be critical of them.
"It's unfortunate, particularly given the huge effort they put in to re-lay the pitch, promote the game and get sponsors teed up.
"It's very sad for them."
Centennial Park last hosted a domestic game in February 2005, when Otago beat Auckland in a one-day game.
The ground was pencilled in for a first-class game a year ago but was scratched when NZC decided the pitch was not up to standard.
