Creating Conditions for Cricket Excellence

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has always punched above its weight on the international stage. But with a small player pool and a challenging climate—six months of cold and rain each year—finding a way to provide top-tier training conditions became a key priority. Enter Cravo Equipment Ltd., whose innovative retractable roof technology has transformed how New Zealand’s cricketers train, setting a new global benchmark for player performance and facility design.

The Challenge: Training Year-Round Without Compromise

With fewer than 500 semi-professional players, ensuring player safety and long-term health was paramount. Traditional indoor facilities built on concrete fail to replicate real-game conditions, plus increase the risk of injury. Outdoor training, meanwhile, often fell victim to the country’s unpredictable weather. Temporary solutions like marquees proved inadequate—water leaked in, making surfaces unsafe, and professional setup and removal costs quickly became unsustainable.

NZC needed a breakthrough: a facility that could provide the benefits of an indoor environment without sacrificing the feel of a natural playing surface. And they found it.

The Cravo Solution: A Retractable Revolution

During their search, NZC explored expensive glass greenhouse structures but quickly realized the obvious issue: “Cricket balls and glass don’t mix.” That’s when they discovered Cravo’s retractable roof houses, originally designed for agriculture but with clear potential for high-performance sports.

Working closely with Cravo, NZC adapted the technology to meet their sport-specific requirements, creating a facility that allowed for controlled climate conditions while maintaining a real-grass surface. The result was so effective that it has now been replicated six times across New Zealand’s high-performance hubs, with a seventh facility under construction.

A Game-Changer in More Ways Than One

The timing of the first installation couldn’t have been better. When New Zealand’s strict COVID-19 policies limited indoor sports, the Cravo Cricket House provided the only government-approved training facility for international players. It kept cricket alive—and its professionals earning—when other sports struggled.

Beyond immediate player comfort, the unexpected benefits of the Cravo system quickly became apparent. Originally engineered to optimize plant growth, Cravo’s climate-controlled technology allowed New Zealand’s groundskeepers to recreate playing conditions found in other countries. This meant that players could train on wickets that mimicked subcontinental pitches before overseas tours—an unprecedented advantage.

Cravo Cricket House at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, Tauranga, New Zealand

The Results: A Historic Victory and a Bright Future

The impact of this investment became undeniable in 2024, when New Zealand’s national team achieved a historic clean sweep of India on their home soil—a feat never before accomplished by a visiting side. Some hailed it as possibly the greatest series in New Zealand Cricket’s history, and it shone a spotlight on the improvements in player preparation and performance.

Since then, the success of Cravo Cricket Houses has extended beyond New Zealand, with interest growing in the cricketing heartlands of the subcontinent. And from a financial standpoint, the investment is proving just as sound: compared to other high-performance training options, Cravo’s facilities offer significant cost savings while also boosting sponsorship opportunities and drawing television exposure.

Raising the Bar for Global Cricket

New Zealand Cricket’s adoption of Cravo technology underscores a broader shift in high-performance sports: innovation is key to staying competitive. By reimagining training environments, NZC has not only enhanced player development but also set a new global standard for excellence in cricket preparation.

With continued expansion and increasing international interest, it’s clear that the game is changing—and New Zealand is leading the charge.

To enquire about Cravo’s Cricket Houses or other the potential for other high performance sport facilities contact sales@cravo.com

Source: Cravo Cricket Houses: New Zealand’s Game-Changing Training Facilities

(Editors Note – Obviously not a greenhouse fruit or vegetable crop but Cravo has combined my passion of both greenhouses and cricket!  Well done to NZC for this initiative. Could we have one built in Pukekohe now!)