Tolo Harbour site planned as new home of HK cricket

A picturesque site, skirting the Tolo Harbour in the New Territories, has been identified by the government as the location for Hong Kong's first international level cricket ground. The site will be a future venue for the Hong Kong Sixes and one-day internationals, according to Hong Kong Cricket Association chairman Dinesh Tandon. The venue, which a feasibility study says is perfect for top-class cricket, could transform the local game, especially by increasing the capacity of the popular Hong Kong Sixes to accommodate 15,000 fans. 'We have been told that land near Sha Tin is available and could house an international-sized ground. The government asked us to do a survey and we have carried it out and everything looks positive,' Tandon said. 'Hopefully, things will start moving soon and perhaps in five or six years, we will have a new ground that is capable of hosting the Hong Kong Sixes on a bigger scale. With temporary seating, we could one day see the Sixes hosting a crowd of nearly 15,000 fans,' he said. Bordering Tolo Harbour and the Science Park, the Pak Shek Kok site will be one of the most scenic cricket grounds in the world. The government has said the site will be for the exclusive use of cricket and baseball, with both sports getting an international-sized oval and diamond. The cost of the project was not detailed. 'The project is at a preliminary concept stage,' Home Affairs Bureau principal assistant secretary Benjamin Mok Kwan-yu said. 'We are exploring all options and it is too early to talk about how much the entire project will cost.' Initial feedback from the architects who helped with the association's study has indicated that the venue is ideally suited 'for the establishment of an international-size cricket ground with training facilities, with area left over to also create an international-size baseball ground together with some ancillary public recreational facilities'. Tandon was optimistic that the project would be approved and issues such as funding would be worked out now that the study was complete. 'This whole thing has come about because of the interaction between senior government officials and the president and chief executive of the International Cricket Council last year. Government officials asked the ICC, 'What do you want from Hong Kong?' and were told that local cricket would be grateful if they got a home for the sport,' Tandon said. At the ICC annual conference hosted by Hong Kong in June, ICC president Sharad Pawar, in his opening address, asked Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen to help cricket in Hong Kong. Later that night, at the official dinner, Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing was asked if the government would provide an international-sized ground and facilities. 'We are beginning to see the fruits of those encounters. All this initiated from the annual conference and we are very hopeful that one day soon, Hong Kong will be able to host top-class one-day internationals as well as take the Hong Kong Sixes to another level,' Tandon said. The Hong Kong Sixes are staged at the Kowloon Cricket Club which has a capacity of about 4,000 and limited room to expand. The new ground will boast seven pitches, including three of international standards, and can accommodate a minimum of 11,300 spectators - a quarter in VIP seating - and will have floodlighting, which opens the way for day-night games. 'Apart from the obvious benefits for the Hong Kong Sixes, we could also offer to become a neutral venue for the ICC, like Dubai or Abu Dhabi are doing now. We have been held back from putting ourselves up as a venue in the past because of the lack of a ground but this will open up a lot of opportunities,' Tandon said. Other than the international benefits, the new facility will also help promote the game locally, as it will release other grounds for junior and women's games. Tandon said: 'We are desperately short of grounds in Hong Kong and a new ground will relieve the pressure hugely and allow us to develop other areas. This facility will also offer us an avenue to promote cricket in the Sha Tin and Tai Po districts, especially among the schools and universities in the area.' Hong Kong Baseball Association chairman Philip Li declined to comment when asked by the Sunday Morning Post how the new venue would help the local game. Field of dreams - Cricket and baseball fields are independent and meet international standards - 300 fixed covered seating for cricket & the same for baseball - 7 x cricket wickets (3 x international standard) - Shared training nets & grounds - Floodlighting for evening use - Dedicated parking facilities adjacent to club house - Larger changing facilities to accommodate necessary equipment - Deck adjacent to harbour side extending over car park to provide lawn bowls, basketball & other recreational use for the general public on the upper level + indoor cricket & baseball training at ground level - High fencing around site & low fencing between playing fields. Planned seating layout Cricket Sixes: 11,300 seats Test cricket: 3,600 seats Baseball seats: 6,500