It is nearly three years since the Alexandra venue last hosted elite cricket. The drought will end two days after Christmas when Otago hosts Auckland in a twenty20 fixture.
It will be as big a day for Douglas as it will be for the cricket-starved fans in the region.
Molyneux Park lost its New Zealand Cricket warrant of fitness the same week he was appointed to the job because of concerns the pitch was not up to the required standard. It has been his job to rectify the situation and get the much-talked-about strip of grass up to scratch. NZC gave his work a vote of confidence by scheduling a match there this summer and he hopes to repay the national body with a nice flat deck which will yield plenty of runs.
''The pitch is looking good. The block has come along well and we've got some good growth on it,'' Douglas said.
''We're still [more than a week out] so it all depends on the weather. But I'm hoping for a flat deck and a good twenty20 wicket. Everyone wants to see roads for twenty20.
''We've had a lot of hot weather but the last week it has changed to a bit of drizzle. I want that to change.''
Douglas grew up in Alexandra and played representative cricket and football for the region when he was at secondary school. He played a lot of sport at Molyneux Park and when the job came along, he leapt at the opportunity. Douglas has a diploma in horticulture and a certificate in sports turf management. It is his first job in the industry.
''We've been given this opportunity to have this type of cricket back which is really welcomed. I am nervous but I'm looking forward to it at the same time.''
