MacAlister Park
Down at my local sports field, MacAlister Park, the curved boundary lines have been repainted into straight sidelines as the seasons have turned.
However, on a bright sunny day at the height of summer, when the outfields were burnt brown, I took a walk around MacAlister Park and took some photos.
(Click on the photos to see a decent sized version.)
The cricket grounds are crammed into MacAlister Park, in such a way that the pitch of one ground is the boundary of another. Fielding at deep cover in one game would make you backwards silly mid-off at another.
To work out who is fielding in which game, you have to pay attention to which way they are facing:
However, you are always alone when you have just gotten out:
Finding a good spot on the boundary you can follow three games at once:
April 1st, 2009 at 10:10 am
good eye you got there.
April 1st, 2009 at 10:18 am
Ben,
You forgot to mention that McAlister Park is tucked in between the worst kids’ sporting park in Wellington (Liardet) and the worst location for an international rugby ground ever.
Despite all that I actually like McAlister; except in a Southerly.
April 1st, 2009 at 8:10 pm
Great pictures. If there are simultaneous dismissals, has one of the dismissed batsmen ever just marched across to the other pitch like he means it and taken guard again… must be worth a try. Reminds me of when the youthful Tendulkar would be driven from game to game rach time he was out!
April 2nd, 2009 at 9:17 am
what is the point of playing the game if the wicketkeeper from the adjoining game does not double up as the forward short leg in yours?
Great pics Ben.
Cheers,
April 2nd, 2009 at 5:59 pm
good eye you got there.
Cheers. It’s amazing what you perceive when you pay attention to stuff you normally take for granted.
April 2nd, 2009 at 6:53 pm
You forgot to mention that McAlister Park is tucked in between the worst kids’ sporting park in Wellington (Liardet) and the worst location for an international rugby ground ever.
Yep, those points slipped my mind.
What’s your issue with Liardet park by the way? Is it the way the surface sometime caves in, dumping kids into the landfill?
Liardet St is on my running route. I often see either touch or kirikiti played there of an evening.
April 2nd, 2009 at 7:03 pm
If there are simultaneous dismissals, has one of the dismissed batsmen ever just marched across to the other pitch like he means it and taken guard again… must be worth a try.
Interesting. Never occurred to me the few times I played there. But I was generally too busy arguing with the umpire. Like the time I was given out bowled after Mark had neglected to call the two previous leg-side deliveries wides. As if that somehow had contributed to my wicket.
April 2nd, 2009 at 7:43 pm
what is the point of playing the game if the wicketkeeper from the adjoining game does not double up as the forward short leg in yours?
Makes it easier to set a field if you can make use of neighbouring fielders. Or batsmen. There is a well-told story about a guy trying to play a shot at the same time a ball from the next game was bouncing down the pitch and hitting him on the pad.
Great pics Ben.
Cheers. I must remember to charge my batteries and clear my memory stick before the game tomorrow.
April 4th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
Ben,
Next time you go running at Liardet, can you please look out for my kids’ football boots that got sucked under by the mud a few years ago.
Thanks