Today is Valentine’s Day. It’s the first day of the second Test between New Zealand and India at the Basin Reserve. And today is also the day of our Love the Basin event at the Basin Reserve.
Many people love the Basin Reserve as a cricket ground, but the Basin has been used for many things in its time, and people love it for many reasons. Here’s why fashion designer Laurie Foon says she loves the Basin:
Thanks for all the great work you are doing, please keep it up.
I love the Basin as I ride my bike and this is is always my mellow interlude before approaching the city or the busy Adelaide Road.
I often stop on the south side to west side to sit in the late evening sun. I do not want the noise or visual of the flyover.
But the Love the Basin event is taking place against a background of backroom deals: backroom deals about the future of world cricket, and as recent revelations by Wellington Scoop show, backroom deals between Wellington City Council, the Basin Reserve Trust and the New Zealand Transport Agency:
Conflicts of interest: a secret flyover Memorandum of Understanding and its three signatories
To mix sporting metaphors, cricket has become a political football. Today at the Basin, I hope to see a celebration of the game, and a celebration of the Basin Reserve.
On my trips to Wellington I always take the time to get down to the Basin to have a wondering around or take photos of the ground from outside the gates.The Basin holds a special place to me since I love cricket.