New Zealand’s Unofficial Beach Cricket Champs
Beach Beats & BBQs - Boxing Day Races at Ellerslie

It’s one place where New Zealanders are world class at cricket. The beach.

So New Zealand ’s Unofficial Beach Cricket Championship is being launched at Ellerslie’s first ever Beach Beats & BBQs infield event… part of the new look The New Zealand Herald Christmas Carnival Boxing Day Races.

180 tonnes of sand have been delivered to the Ellerslie infield and shaped into a 2,000 square metre cricket oval, creating the perfect pitch for one of New Zealand ’s favourite traditions, a beach cricket tournament.

16 fiercely competitive teams will take to the pitch and batsmen will need to go large and channel Lance Cairns and his one handed 6’s to be in with a shot of taking out New Zealand’s Unofficial Beach Cricket Champs.

A beach isn’t a beach without water so Ellerslie has also trucked in 12,000 litres of water for competitors and spectators to cool off in during the day.

Themed bars will add to the festive mix and racing revellers are encouraged to bring sausages and steak to cook up on New Zealand ’s Longest Gas BBQ.

Those after a more chilled out experience can picnic in the sun while enjoying some of the best local music talent, with unplugged performances from the likes of Jessie Gurunathan and James Reid.

As well as food, punters are more than welcome to bring along unopened non-alcoholic beverages into public areas oncourse, however as Ellerslie is no longer a BYO alcohol venue, reasonably-priced alcohol will be available for purchase from one of the many bars oncourse.

To find out more about Ellerslie’s Beach Beats and BBQs at Ellerslie’s Boxing Day races visit www.ellerslieracedays.co.nz

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