New Zealand Cricket

High Performance Centre - Lincoln University

Located at Lincoln University, just outside Christchurch, the New Zealand Cricket High Performance Centre is one of the homes of high-performance cricket in New Zealand. It is where the country's best emerging and elite players come together to train, prepare and compete.

The centre features three high-quality outdoor grounds, headlined by the Bert Sutcliffe Oval. As an international-standard venue, Bert Sutcliffe Oval has hosted international warm-up fixtures, ICC tournaments and a wide range of domestic representative cricket. Most notably, it was a host venue for the 2000 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup and has welcomed teams from around the globe. Today, it remains one of New Zealand's most iconic and highly regarded cricket venues, used year-round by national teams, domestic sides and visiting international teams.

Supporting the playing facilities is a dedicated team of turf and facilities staff who work year-round to prepare and maintain the grounds to the highest standard, ensuring outstanding playing conditions throughout every season.

One of the centre's standout features is the Īndoor Cravo Centre, a state-of-the-art facility built over natural turf practice wickets. The innovative design allows players to train on real grass surfaces while remaining protected from the weather, making year-round outdoor training possible. The facility also gives New Zealand Cricket the ability to prepare wickets that replicate conditions from around the world, allowing players and teams to better prepare for international tours and competitions.

The High Performance Centre is a hive of activity throughout the summer. Every season it hosts New Zealand Cricket's Men's and Women's Under 19 National Tournaments, Men's and Women's Under 17 National Tournaments, and the Boys' and Girls' Secondary School Cup tournaments. Alongside these major events, the centre regularly stages Provincial A fixtures, international warm-up matches and a variety of other representative and domestic cricket, making it one of the busiest cricket venues in the country.

Away from competition, the centre is home to numerous New Zealand Cricket training camps, talent development programmes and specialist coaching initiatives. Players, coaches, match officials and support staff regularly use the facilities to develop their skills, prepare for domestic and international competition, and continue their growth in a world-class performance environment.

The High Performance Centre also includes a six-lane indoor training facility, ensuring training can continue throughout the year regardless of weather conditions.

Combining world-class facilities, innovative technology and outstanding playing surfaces, the New Zealand Cricket High Performance Centre continues to play a vital role in developing the next generation of New Zealand cricketers while supporting the BLACKCAPS, WHITE FERNS and the wider high-performance game. Whether hosting national tournaments, preparing international teams or developing future talent, Lincoln remains at the heart of cricket excellence in New Zealand.