Hey it's in Papakura - hope they have a spare $200k/y for grafiti removal and to repair broken windows
Seriously though, I've had thoughts about something like this for years and I think it would be a wonderful facility to have. Don't they have something like this in Dubai? I believe it would make a real difference to some of our top and development players performance if built and utilised properly (though will be a costly white elephant if not).
My idea was similar but aimed instead at the general public - god knows we need to do something to increase interest in the game across the country - for people who might like to play a bit of cricket but who;
- can't find a convenient flat surface where the bounce is consistent, except maybe tennis ball on concrete which is not great
- don't want to be restricted by weather
- don't want to spend most of their time chasing the ball across the road and into the ditch on the other side.
Like the idea of a cheap structure that keeps the weather out and has walls/nets that separate the areas. Not just regular net shaped but instead small interlocking teardrop shaped fields similar in area to indoor cricket fields - can have fielders too. Develop a cheap but very durable artificial surface and underlay with the right hardness and properties - some engineering required here - one for the pitch, one for the runup area and one for the rest. Could have different pitch surfaces that play different ways. Build a prototype, get the costs absolutely minimised and fix any problems that arise. Then build lots of them across the country. Funding, costs to use, security, maintenance, lighting costs if necessary tbc