Eden Park confirmed as third Test venue after rumours surface

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden said there was no truth in the rumour that the third National Bank Test match at Eden Park between New Zealand and England was to be transferred to Hamilton.

The rumour has surfaced over the past few days.

Snedden said he was concerned with the portable pitch used for the recent Auckland-Canterbury State Championship match at Eden Park.

He said he had stipulated at the start of the summer that if a portable pitch was to be used for the England Test it had to be tested during a State Championship game on Eden Park No 1.

The pitch for the Auckland-Canterbury game had been "fairly abysmal," he said and after receiving the pitch reports he had put WestpacTrust Park in Hamilton on stand-by for the Test match, in case there were problems.

He expressed his concerns to the Eden Park board and they, with NZC and Auckland Cricket, ensured that intensive preparation was put into the pitch preparation for the One-Day International played last weekend.

The pitch for the ODI was a different portable to that used for the Auckland-Canterbury game. There are three pitches available for use as portable pitches.

However, he was delighted with the way the pitch came through for the ODI and Eden Park would be the venue for the third Test.