Nelson (New Zealand), Feb 14 (IANS) For a city best known for year-round sunshine, pristine beaches and spectacular scenery, the cricket World Cup has brought a bigger than normal buzz here ahead of Monday’s game between the West Indies and Ireland.
Located on the north end of South Island and overlooking the picturesque Tasman Bay, Nelson has come to represent an idyllic mixture of tranquillity and adventure for visitors, reports CMC.
Its array of music and art festivals provide the perfect setting for the easy-going while the three iconic national parks serve up the thrills of hiking and kayaking for the more daring.
The arrival of the World Cup will introduce a new dynamic to the fun-loving city, however. Following on from the West Indies fixture, the United Arab Emirates play Zimbabwe next Thursday while Bangladesh face Scotland March 5.
Invariably, police have stepped up security in keeping with International Cricket Council (ICC) requirements for hosting World Cup games.
The numbers of security personnel have been increased substantially with reinforcements being added from Marlborough in the south-east and West Coast to cope with the anticipated high influx of visitors throughout the World Cup.
Saxton Oval will have 20 officers for each match with additional resources deployed on the major highways in-and-out of the city. Officers will also man traffic checkpoints, monitoring drunk driving. Crime prevention units have been established with an investigative unit on call to deal with major incidents.
Inspector Tim Crawford, the operation commander for the World Cup here, said planning for the event had been ongoing for months.
“We've got a full operation for the three World Cup games. Based on the previous games, people have gone to the cricket because they enjoy watching the cricket for a day out. We see it no different for World Cup," Crawford said.
“Add the flavour of having some international teams in town and some overseas visitors and it should be really good for the region.”
The city council, which has shelled out nearly $776,000 to host the three World Cup games will usher in Monday’s first game with a street party and a market day Saturday.
And while the city is hoping to see the economic spin-offs from the influx of visitors, they are also keen on ensuring the local population get a taste of the festivities.
“One of the key benefits of this is that we are able to offer the opportunity for our residents to attend an international event. It will also allow us to showcase the city to the world due to the massive audience that watches the matches played at Saxton Oval," communications manager Paul Shattock said.
The ground is one of the newest on the ICC grid. It hosted its first ever One-Day International (ODI) when West Indies toured New Zealand last year and also played host to the fourth ODI between New Zealand and Sri Lanka last month.
With the pending slate of World Cup matches, hoteliers have reported increased bookings and have also warned that late-comers face the risk of being without accommodation.
“February is always full and always busy. This year it is exceedingly full largely due to the number of events that are happening. If you are coming to Nelson from outside the area, be sure to book. There is room but you have to book," said John Gilbertson, administration officer for the Motel Association of New Zealand Nelson branch.
The World Cup is being jointly hosted by New Zealand and Australia. It bowls off Saturday with New Zealand playing Sri Lanka in Christchurch and Australia clashing with England in Melbourne.
Inflation: Wheat, rice, and pulses became expensive by five percent in two days, oil and flour prices also increased during the festive season
The prices of essential food items have shot up in the last two days. According to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, the prices of wheat, flour, rice, pulses as well as oil, potato, and onion have
93,883 infected were found on the last day, 68% of these cases in 5 states including Maharashtra; Active cases were also less than 12 lakhs
Corona cases are decreasing continuously in the country, but the increasing death toll remains a cause for concern. On Wednesday, 93,828 new infections were found in the country and 6,138 people died.
2 months free grain to migrant workers
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday in the second installment of the Rs 20 lakh crore package under the 'Self-reliant India' campaign to provide free grain to migrant laborers, cheaper
Why is Sushil Kumar looking for the case of killing a wrestler?
"We have lost everything, nothing is left, we had high hopes from him. At such a young age, my nephew had shone the name of family and country. But now it is all over." - This is the word Wrestler
Shinde or Fadnavis, who will become the Chief Minister? There is only one person in Maharashtra politics who is the CM maker.
After the spectacular victory of the Mahayuti in the Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024, there is suspense over the name of the Chief Minister. The parties that won the most seats in the Mahayuti
Weather Update: Chances of rain in these states including Bihar-MP, know-how will the weather be in your city including Delhi
Weather Forecast: Due to the rain in the last few days in North India including the national capital Delhi, there has been a change in the weather pattern. Rainfall in many states including UP, Delhi,
Announcement of SKM - 31st Promise Day, Mission UP's plan made from 1st February
After the withdrawal of three controversial agricultural laws by the central government, the farmers' movement may have ended, but many problems of the farmers remain the same. The United Kisan Morcha
The world will wreak havoc: World War will start in four weeks! Russian military analysts warned
Amidst the corona epidemic, the threat of world war is now underway. Russian military analysts have warned that the world will witness a world war in the next four weeks. If the world war broke out
What is India's preparation to deal with China, what is the big diplomatic change regarding the dragon in Modi Sarkar-2?
In recent times, once again the relations between China and India have become very tense. There is a war-like situation between the two countries. Even in such a situation, India is taking full
This production house will make a web series on Tata Group, who will play the role of Ratan Tata?
The Tata Group is counted among the most successful and powerful business groups in India. Millions of business students around the world look up to Ratan Tata as an idol. The people of this country
