New groundsman appointed

Gary Smith.
Gary Smith.
Molyneux Park has a new groundsman and work to upgrade the dressing rooms has been scheduled.

Former sports turf management lecturer Gary Smith will start work on Monday and will have plenty to look forward to.

The venue has been assigned two twenty20 games during the break from Christmas to the new year, and a first-class game has also been pencilled in for November.

Smith, who could not be reached for comment, replaces Andrew Douglas in the role. Douglas has taken over responsibility for preparing the playing surface at the Queenstown Events Centre.

Smith was a senior lecturer and programme co-ordinator at Central Campus Otago Polytechnic.

He has also held roles at the Timaru Golf Club and Queenstown Golf Club and began his career at the Dunedin Botanical Garden.

''We were definitely fortunate in securing Gary,'' Central Otago Districts Council parks team leader Ian Mann said.

''We're looking forward to working with him and for him continuing the good work that Andrew Douglas bought to the role.''

Smith will have the added pressure of producing a pitch for first-class cricket. The venue has not hosted a first-class game since March 2004.

He will not have to rebuild the pitch any time soon, though.

Mann said plans to relay the main wicket had been put on hold based on feedback from New Zealand Cricket's general manager of grounds and facilities.

''Ian McKendry had a look at the wicket and made some comments and we realised that we didn't need to go ahead and rebuild that wicket. It was absolutely fine and players actually like a bit of variance now.

''We just thought it was high risk with a new groundsman coming on. If rebuilding a wicket is not done right, it takes a couple of years to pull it back.''

Meanwhile, Mann said work to upgrade the dressing rooms to meet New Zealand Cricket's required standards had been ''scheduled to get under way to meet a deadline in November''.

''We've got the funding to do that. It was in our long-term plan, so we have the funding for that but it has been brought forward so we can meet the requirements for the four-day game.

''And that is what New Zealand Cricket were waiting on to confirm the game.''

The schedule for the first-class season has not been released yet, but a draft draw suggests Otago will host Northern Districts at Molyneux Park on November 24-27.

NZC has not offered any assurances first-class cricket will be allocated to Molyneux Park.

''No.That is the risk. Nothing is guaranteed when they do the draws each year,'' Mann said.

''But, if it is available and meets the requirements, hopefully we will be scheduled games.''

Add a Comment

OUTSTREAM