International cricket was last staged there in March 2024, when the NZ women faced England 'A' in a Twenty20 doubleheader, but locals are distraught that they have been passed over again, with nothing scheduled for the coming season.
Local mum Emma Chisholm has begun lobbying NZ Cricket and the local Queenstown Lakes District Council to restore the ground to the calendar, but has found a long list of issues confronting her.
"There were whispers we weren't being put forward, which prompted me to launch a petition," she said. "Support has been pretty incredible, and we've got over 500 signatures already.
"You're sitting on the grass embankment with the Remarkables mountains as a backdrop, you've got planes taking off - the whole experience is incredible.
"I took my son there back in 2023 against Sri Lanka, and it was an incredible game. I also took him to the White Ferns and he was super lucky to get Suzie Bates' vest - the kids love seeing their heroes."
With support from local media, well-intentioned Chisholm has taken on the task with considerable enthusiasm, but has discovered some sizeable obstacles to overcome.
"I didn't quite realise what I was getting myself into, to be honest," she said. "I had no idea what goes on behind a cricket match and what we need for NZC to look at us."
"We fully acknowledge there are a number of factors that favour dedicated, cricket-only venues elsewhere in Aotearoa New Zealand," it said.
"These include our proximity to Queenstown International Airport affecting the height of lighting and broadcasting towers, the increased lighting standards required for broadcast matches, which now exceeds what we currently have in place and the level of investment that would be required via local ratepayers to match the significant upgrades completed by dedicated cricket venues competing for the same matches."
Those upgrades included media rooms, merchandise areas, bigger spectator spaces, and food and beverage offerings.
"Finally, it's worth noting that QLDC has received pushback in the past from some in our local cricket community, when they haven't been able to play their local tournaments, because of previous international and national events at [John Davies Oval], so it has always been a fine balance meeting everyone's wants and needs."
NZ Cricket seems fully aware of the venue's charm and insists it continues to encourage the council to make the necessary improvements.
"We agree, the John Davies Oval in Queenstown is a venue of great natural beauty," it said. "What complicates match allocations is the extra cost of scheduling games there, caused mainly by the shared nature of the Queenstown Events Centre as it relates to player and match official facilities.
"We've discussed these issues with the QLDC and have made them aware of the challenges. We're supportive of continuing dialogue to explore cost-effective solutions."
Chisholm is determined to continue that process.
"I would love to bring cricket back to Queenstown, but if we don't get up to scratch soon, we won't be hosting cricket here again," she said.
"I've heard from players who love coming here, cricket fans who travel supporting their teams love it, and [the] community wants it - let's get it all in line."
