New sightscreens for Hagley Oval
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World class new sightscreens will be unveiled at Hagley Oval and Pavilion when the BLACKCAPS take on Pakistan in the first test of Christchurch's Summer of Cricket.
Designed and manufactured by local engineering firm Cashmere Engineering, the new sightscreens are 14 metres wide, made up of twelve 300kilogram individual panels, at both the Northern and Southern ends of the ground.
Each panel is double-sided and can be easily rotated to make a white screen (used in Test matches when the ball is red), or a black screen (used in One Day International’s when the ball is white).
New perforated sightscreens at Hagley Oval and Pavilion will have their first outing at today's test match.
Christchurch City Council Manager of Recreation Service David Bailey said the screens were vital for the Oval to maintain an international certificate of compliance. The first test of the new screens would be during the BLACKCAPS vs Pakistan 1st ANZ Test match.
“Any ground that wants to secure international matches needs to meet a ground Warrant of Fitness and get a certificate of compliance – and Hagley Oval was not going to be up to that certificate level this year if we didn’t get the new sightscreens. This investment in the city’s future and replaces screens that were ineffective and had high operational costs. Not only do the screens serve the local games needs but it enables the city to attract events that will be part of the city’s event led recovery strategy,” Mr Bailey said.
The new sightscreens have been specifically designed for Christchurch conditions, taking into account the strong wind load often experienced in Christchurch, and the Resource Consent conditions that require the screens to be removed when not in operation.
“We really have used the latest and greatest innovations available to meet some pretty specific requirements for this ground,” Mr Bailey said. “We wanted to ensure that Hagley Oval maintained its park nature by making these sightscreens completely removable so they can be packed away at the end of each cricket season,” Mr Bailey said.
The screens can be easily operated by one grounds men, cutting down on staff numbers required to make the ground functional for each match. The ease of operation will also reduce stoppage time during the games.