<p class="title">Auckland's Eden Park may not host another Test match with New Zealand Cricket (NZC) pondering the use of a redeveloped Western Springs Stadium as an alternative venue in the country's most populous city.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Hiring the multi-purpose Eden Park posed a serious financial challenge to NZC, which is not considering the stadium for any home Test matches next year, according to New Zealand news website Stuff.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Auckland is currently missing out significantly on international cricket exposure due, primarily, to the lack of a cost-effective, financially-viable venue," NZC chief executive David White wrote in a submission to the Auckland Council.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Eden Park, the only ICC-sanctioned arena in New Zealand's most populous city, is unaffordable for all but the biggest and, by definition, the rarest of international cricket fixtures.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"For this reason, Auckland has hosted just three Test matches since 2006, and the number of one-day internationals and T20 internationals played in the city has been a mere fraction of what it would be, were it to offer a fit-for-purpose, international-standard cricket ground."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Eden Park hosted its first Test match when New Zealand played England in 1930 and its most recent and 50th one was between the same opponents in March this year.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The NZC finds the 41,000 capacity stadium relatively "small" and is also not happy with its rectangular, football-shaped playing area. Consequentially, action may shift to the Western Springs Stadium, which currently hosts speedway and rugby.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"As proposed, a newly-developed cricket amenity, with a full-sized, oval-shaped playing arena; able to cater for both small and large crowds in a relaxed, grass-banked, more cricket-centric surrounding, would guarantee Auckland significantly more men's and women's international cricket," the NZC added. </p>
<p class="title">Auckland's Eden Park may not host another Test match with New Zealand Cricket (NZC) pondering the use of a redeveloped Western Springs Stadium as an alternative venue in the country's most populous city.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Hiring the multi-purpose Eden Park posed a serious financial challenge to NZC, which is not considering the stadium for any home Test matches next year, according to New Zealand news website Stuff.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Auckland is currently missing out significantly on international cricket exposure due, primarily, to the lack of a cost-effective, financially-viable venue," NZC chief executive David White wrote in a submission to the Auckland Council.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Eden Park, the only ICC-sanctioned arena in New Zealand's most populous city, is unaffordable for all but the biggest and, by definition, the rarest of international cricket fixtures.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"For this reason, Auckland has hosted just three Test matches since 2006, and the number of one-day internationals and T20 internationals played in the city has been a mere fraction of what it would be, were it to offer a fit-for-purpose, international-standard cricket ground."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Eden Park hosted its first Test match when New Zealand played England in 1930 and its most recent and 50th one was between the same opponents in March this year.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The NZC finds the 41,000 capacity stadium relatively "small" and is also not happy with its rectangular, football-shaped playing area. Consequentially, action may shift to the Western Springs Stadium, which currently hosts speedway and rugby.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"As proposed, a newly-developed cricket amenity, with a full-sized, oval-shaped playing arena; able to cater for both small and large crowds in a relaxed, grass-banked, more cricket-centric surrounding, would guarantee Auckland significantly more men's and women's international cricket," the NZC added. </p>