NZ Cricket: Simulator floated to train top players

[Blakey]

Will this help NZ cricketers? If NZ cricket are looking for financial backers why haven't they pushed this story more?

Conditions replicating the sauna of Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium and batting on the pace and bounce of Perth's famed Waca wicket - that's the idea behind a $5 million climate-controlled centre proposed to New Zealand Cricket.

[Bahnz]

An interesting idea, but $5 million is a steep price tag, especially for an organisation as cash strapped as the NZC, and how much will it cost to maintain on an annual basis? Could the money possibly be better spent on improving practice facilities around the country? Or on helping Christchurch develop a viable cricket venue? Or anything?

[Meridio]

Originally Posted by Bahnz

An interesting idea, but $5 million is a steep price tag, especially for an organisation as cash strapped as the NZC, and how much will it cost to maintain on an annual basis? Could the money possibly be better spent on improving practice facilities around the country? Or on helping Christchurch develop a viable cricket venue? Or anything?

$5m looks a bit light to me for a complex of that size tbh. Would expect that to balloon out a bit.

Interesting idea though, yeah. I do like the idea of having a natural grass indoor facility, to get our pace bowlers off concrete-based surfaces over winter. Think that if the finances can be found it would definitely be a worthwhile investment.

[Immenso]

I think an indoor all-weather turf practice facility us one of the huge gaps in NZ's high performance 'structure'.

I would love it to get built, but I am surprised at the price. This does sound like an all the bells and whistles version (climate control and imported turf/clay to replicate different foreign conditions). I would just like an indoor facility built, the fancy details could be added later if wanted/affordable.

As a facility for blackcaps pre-tour preparations. Pre-season training camps for FC teams, winter training camps for the fast bowling winter development contracts etc etc. Plus guaranteed dry conditions and quality pitches to be hired out to clubs and schools and Prov A and youth squads from around the region.

I wouldn't think that some warehouse framing, plastic/glass, and chicken wire, would be so expensive?

[Meridio]

Originally Posted by Immenso

I think an indoor all-weather turf practice facility us one of the huge gaps in NZ's high performance 'structure'.

I would love it to get built, but I am surprised at the price. This does sound like an all the bells and whistles version (climate control and imported turf/clay to replicate different foreign conditions). I would just like an indoor facility built, the fancy details could be added later if wanted/affordable.

As a facility for blackcaps pre-tour preparations. Pre-season training camps for FC teams, winter training camps for the fast bowling winter development contracts etc etc. Plus guaranteed dry conditions and quality pitches to be hired out to clubs and schools and Prov A and youth squads from around the region.

I wouldn't think that some warehouse framing, plastic/glass, and chicken wire, would be so expensive?

You can't have one without the other - if you want natural grass in an indoor environment, you have to have it climate controlled. Create a glass box and no matter what time of the year, if the sun's shining it will be an absolute sauna inside.

[hendrix]

$5M sounds very cheap for what they are proposing. Also consider the ongoing costs - humidity and temperature control in a massive building like that is not going to be cheap to run. Maintenance too etc.

Is NZC actually cash-strapped?

[straw man]

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