Sir Richard Hadlee’s legacy sports centre is on track to be completed in time for the women’s Cricket World Cup, despite a $1.6 million funding shortage.

The $5 million Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Centre is under construction alongside Hagley Oval in Christchurch, and must be completed before the World Cup starts on March 4.

A recent $500,000 donation by a “prominent New Zealander”, and a series of other grants between $10,000 and $100,000, ensured more than half the required funds were raised, but the Canterbury Cricket Trust (CCT) still had work to do.

“We’ve got applications in for various grants, and various other trusts around the country, so we’re just waiting for the results of those,” Hadlee said.

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“And I think that as the building grows and develops, more and more people will take an interest in it and will want to see it completed, hopefully people will support it, and we’ll find the extra funds.”

The Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Trust provided the first large tranche of funding for the centre in 2018, donating $800,000 shortly after the now 70-year-old Hadlee was diagnosed with bowel cancer, and secondary cancer in his liver.

More than three years since Hadlee was given a 50 per cent chance of living five years, he’s pouring his energy into what will be Christchurch’s first indoor cricket facility since the Canterbury earthquakes.

He’s “feeling good”, clearing six monthly health check-ups and eagerly tracking progress on the centre he stressed was for the community, not just cricket.

The 1200 square metre facility will feature five 3.6 metre cricket lanes with 20 metre run-ups, a more than 300 square metre mezzanine floor, gender-neutral changing rooms, and a balcony facing Hagley Oval.

However, the nets will be able to be rolled back, ensuring the facility can be used for multiple sports, including futsal, netball or hockey, Hadlee said.

Initially, the Canterbury Horticultural Centre was to be refurbished, only for the cost of earthquake strengthening to cause a rethink in the form of a new building.

It’s being built on the same site, with earthquake strengthening of the foundation completed. Cranes are now on site and framing is being erected.

Despite the funding shortage, construction company Naylor Love has committed to completing the building on time for the World Cup.

“They’ve helped us with a little bit of leeway in the financing of the facility. In other words, they’re giving us extended time to come up with the final bill. That eases the situation for us, the fact they’ve done that is a tremendous gesture on their part,” Hadlee said.

“Funding is not easy, it’s a $5 million project. We’re about $1.6 million short at the moment, so we’ve actually done pretty well. The fact we’ve got that extra leeway and time after completion…but to be honest, we really want to pay the final bill on time, so there is no debt on the facility, and it eases the situation for the Canterbury Cricket Trust.”

Hadlee said it would be a legacy centre for both himself and former New Zealand teammate Stephen Boock, who along with wife Heather made a generous donation to get it off the ground.

There’s history at the site, too, given it was home to a sports centre from 1968, with Hadlee first using the centre in the 1970s to prepare for overseas tours over the winter months.

The Canterbury Horticultural Centre took over the building in 1989, before the CCT purchased it in 2017.

“Literally thousands and thousands of boys and girls and schools and clubs, first class and international cricketers, will use this facility to grow their love of sport, enhance their cricketing skills, and go on to be future Canterbury players and White Ferns and Black Caps,” Hadlee said.

Donations can be made HERE.