Upgrade plans for Kimberley Diamond Oval after women’s T20 International moved to Benoni

THE RECENT decision to move the third women’s T20 International between South Africa and Pakistan from the Kimberley Diamond Oval to Willowmoore Park in Benoni was driven by concerns around venue readiness, safety compliance and the risk of further sanctions, Northern Cape Cricket administrator Jesse Chellan has explained.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) confirmed on Tuesday that the match, scheduled for Monday, February 16, would no longer be played in Kimberley following an independent assessment that found the venue did not meet required international norms and standards.

While the relocation disappointed local supporters, Chellan said the decision was taken to protect the long-term status of the Diamond Oval and to avoid further penalties that could jeopardise future international opportunities.

Risk of further sanctions

Chellan said Northern Cape Cricket could not risk hosting the match and accruing additional demerit points from the International Cricket Council, having already received four within the past year.

“Another main reason for the moving of the game was the risk of accruing more demerit points, from where we may miss out on hosting games for a year,” Chellan said.

“We received two demerits for each of those games, which left us with four demerit points.

“To remain an ICC venue, you're only allowed to accumulate six demerit points over a five-year period. We got four demerit points in one year, and they related to the field and the facilities around the game.”

The Diamond Oval received those demerits following women’s ODIs against Sri Lanka on April 13, 2024, and England on December 4, 2024, both of which raised concerns around the pitch and outfield.

Electricity and infrastructure challenges

Chellan said infrastructure issues, particularly electricity supply, also played a decisive role.

“There are some parts of the ground that have no electricity, and this affects the offices and the ticketing system,” he said. “There is electricity for the ground, but we haven’t been able to get full restoration of electricity to the ground.

“We owe the municipality money … and we haven't been able to resolve that despite extensive engagements with the municipality.”

He confirmed that Northern Cape Cricket owes Sol Plaatje Municipality R7 million in electricity-related arrears and said the situation limited the union’s ability to safely stage an international match.

Work under way to protect future fixtures

While CSA identified shortcomings in practice facilities, the outfield, and key equipment, Chellan said remedial work is ongoing. Issues include a sprinkler system under maintenance, a big roller that was recently repaired, and a scoreboard that was not functioning correctly.

“I also found out that the scoreboard wasn’t in order, and we were trying to hold it in place, even for domestic games,” he said.

Despite the challenges, Chellan confirmed the pitch square remains in reasonable shape, with manual watering being used while irrigation repairs continue.

For now, Northern Cape Cricket retains its international status, and the Diamond Oval is provisionally scheduled to host international fixtures in the 2026/27 season, subject to demonstrated improvements. 

Chellan said the immediate focus is on ensuring the venue remains eligible to host World Cup warm-up matches next year.

“We need to fix certain things so that we can get to host matches in 2027, especially with the World Cup coming here next year,” he said.