Lights out for first-class day/night debut

Lights off in Hamilton.

What should have been a historic day for Northern Districts has turned into an anti-climax with the cancellation of New Zealand's first day/night first-class fixture.

The State Championship match between ND and Central Districts will now be played as a day game, starting at 10.30am on Tuesday.

The decision was reached after both squads practised under WestpacTrust Park's new lights on Sunday evening. ND coach Bruce Blair takes up the story.

"We had had some red ball work under the lights previously and we were confident that we could get away with it, but last night, with older balls, fielding was difficult with the ball coming out of a dark sky and a couple of the bowlers were just above the sightscreen at delivery.

"The teams practised and towards the end it became common concensus that, though the lights are fantastic, it's difficult with a red ball.

It's an important game for the CD Stags and it's an important game for us in terms of getting back on track, so we have to have the best conditions for the game, which means traditional daylight hours and a red cricket ball."

ND CEO John Turkington denied that the postponement was embarrassing.

"If you don't think of trying things, you're never going to make advances. Some people involved have had to make minor re-arrangements to their weeks, but there has been no real inconvenience. This was always going to be a trial," he said.

In Australia and India orange balls have been used to avoid the problems involved with red and white ones. According to Turkington, this was not a possible soution here.

"Orange balls are hard to access. If we go ahead next year we will import some."

Turkington remains ambitious for the future of first-class cricket under lights in Hamilton.

"We've got the best lights in New Zealand and we'd like to think that one day we can have a day/night Test match here."

The WestpacTrust Park lights have proved a great success with players and public alike for one-day games with the white ball, but it seems that the red ball is a non-starter.

Experimentation with alternatives is necessary, perhaps further in advance than the night before the game is due to start.