Sir Richard Hadlee visits site of new Hagley Park centre bearing his name

One of the first steps towards building the brand new Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Centre in Hagley Park is under way - and the cricket great himself was on hand to see it.

Work started recently to demolish the old sports centre in South Hagley Park, formerly known as the Horticultural Hall, so the new modern centre named after Sir Richard can be built.

On Thursday, Sir Richard visited the site to see how work was progressing. The new facility will be used for cricket and community sport, and is estimated to be finished by Christmas.

It will have improved indoor community facilities, including changing rooms and toilets.

The Canterbury Cricket Trust will be responsible for the new build.

It has held the site lease since 2017 after acquiring the old Horticultural Hall, built in the 1960s, from the Canterbury Horticultural Society.

The trust plans to use the building for indoor cricket training and coaching. Other community sports will be able to use it when it is not required for cricket purposes.

The changing facilities will be available to support international sports events, including the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.