Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

The Bay Oval passed its international cricket venue test with flying colours last week, with the two ANZ series encounters between the Black Caps and South Africa.

The chat around the traps is that NZ Cricket were well pleased with the performance of the wicket block and outfield along with the 'village green” atmosphere, which provides the Oval patrons with an up-close and personal view of the match.

In my humble opinion, one of the best qualities of the new international venue which will accommodate around 10 thousands patrons in relative comfort, is the generous amount of parking that surrounds the ground.

Unlike the concrete jungle of Eden Park, international cricket fans have no more than a few hundred metres to stroll to the Bay Oval.

Walking into the park through the Black Caps' backyard, with the kids entertainment laid out, was the entrée to the vista of the international cricket ground that now takes centre stage in the Mount.

Recognition of the techno age we live in was provided by the major sponsor's bank of cash machines, standing ready to replenish dwindling money supplies.

In twelve short months, an international pavilion along with a standalone pair of commentary and media boxes has taken the ground to a new level. The big question now is - what future international games are we likely to see at the country's latest international ground?

Sideline Sid believes that the national powers that be will determine which form of the game is the best fit for the Bay Oval. From there the Blake Park field will eventually become a dedicated international venue for either one day, T20 cricket or maybe even test cricket.

On the weekend, Sid enjoyed two days of grassroots cricket, catching up with the last two rounds of the Attrill Cup at Ferguson Park. The suburban park, with its three good quality grass wickets, is a beautiful sight on a summer's day, with kite surfers out on the water and various other groups taking advantage of the large area of grass.

On Saturday, an even better backdrop was provided with the departure of a cruise liner late in the afternoon, providing our own slice of heaven.

However Ferguson Park has a Jekyll and Hyde façade, with Sunday's cruel winds scaring all but the cricket players and a large band of kite surfers from the Matua waters and green space.

While the temperature was inclement, the cricket was red hot, with the final stanza between Rotorua and a combined Te Puke and Mount Maunganui team playing under the banner of Western Bay, being decided by the last ball.

A Bay of Plenty inter-city rivalry that dates back some eight decades saw the game fiercely contested with little quarter asked for or given. The Sulphur City visitors posted an extremely competitive target of 234 and the local representatives were dragging the run-rate chain for most of the match.

An outstanding ninth-wicket partnership between Matt Golding and Josh Dwight tied the score, with one ball remaining in the game. In spite of a voracious appeal by the Rotorua side for lbw, the umpire called a leg bye, with the game finishing with Western Bay grabbing a one run victory – and an extremely disappointed Rotorua side left to return home.