A peculiar malaise has settled over the Basin Reserve, once the gleaming jewel in New Zealand's cricket crown.

Ever since control of the ground moved from the Wellington Cricket Association to the Stadium Trust, the cricket quality of the ground has deteriorated. The man who drove the development of the ground, the late Bob Vance, after home the ground's distinctive grandstand is named would be horrified at what has happened.

The fiasco of the water seepage at the ground which saw nearly two-thirds of the second day lost has been the latest in a long saga of problems related to pitch covering at the ground.

Various reasons have been offered over the years for this: the wind blew the rain under the covers, there is a west-east slope on the ground etc etc, but in this day of high technology nothing seems to get done about it.

It is no longer acceptable, and Wellington had good reason to be thankful the at least 3000 people at the ground who showed great patience were not more unsettled about the delays, for an international sports ground to be subject to such delays.

New Zealand coach Denis Aberhart said the situation at the ground needed to be looked at after yet another delay in the start. It wasn't up to him to make a report about it but he was sure the powers that be in New Zealand Cricket were aware of the situation.

Added to the general disfavour the ground provided, there was the sorry sight of the once innovative Basin Reserve scoreboard looking like the address board of Fawlty Towers, only moreso. The lettering was shambolic and lent a third world look to the ground. This after the scoreboard has hardly been usable during the season.

Surely the time has come for New Zealand Cricket to demand better of Wellington ground authorities who, it will be remembered, struggled to get the One-Day International at the WestpacTrust Stadium to start on time because of similar problems with dampness.

© CricInfo