Alexandra Cricket Club president Colin Cathro believes the Otago Cricket Association would be content never to play top-level cricket at Molyneux Park again.
However, OCA chief executive Ross Dykes says his organisation has a "strong desire" to return to the popular Alexandra venue.
Molyneux Park lost its New Zealand Cricket warrant of fitness at the end of last season because the pitch was deemed to be below the required stand.
The venue was allocated two one-day matches this season but the pitch failed to come up to scratch during a recent trial and the games were shifted to Queenstown and Dunedin.
In a letter to the Otago Daily Times, Cathro claimed Dykes believed only one first-class venue could be maintained in Central Otago.
"When Ross Dykes moved down from Auckland to take up his present position at Otago cricket, he made it very clear that our area could not sustain two top-class cricket venues [Queenstown Events Centre and Molyneux Park]," Cathro wrote.
"His view was that games should be played in Queenstown."
Cathro said the trial held at Molyneux Park over Labour Weekend was "doomed to fail".
"For a start, a very cold spring had affected grass growth and the ground is never ready at Labour Weekend.
The trial was played on the side strip [one of four] and it's the two middle strips that are used for rep matches.
"I attended each day of the trial and to the groundsman's great credit, the wicket performed exceptionally well."
Cathro said the bounce was consistent and the pitch was "perfectly satisfactory for a couple of one-day games" over the Christmas break.
Cathro warned the venue's future was now in jeopardy.
"The small amount of funding lost from not hosting Otago will impact on the upkeep of these wickets and put at risk all cricket at Molyneux Park."
Dykes has responded by pointing out the Alexandra ground had received poor reviews from two important groups in recent seasons.
"For the last three years, Molyneux Park has drawn negative reports from players and umpires," Dykes told the ODT in an email.
"New Zealand Cricket has not only shown patience but provided significant tangible assistance in its endeavour to retain the ground as a first-class venue.
"The fact that the recent trial game did not prove that the existing problems had been rectified is regrettable, but certainly not the fault of New Zealand or Otago cricket."
Dykes said the recent trial was a requirement of New Zealand Cricket and the cost of playing the game was more than $8000.
The OCA had to bear that cost, which indicated its genuine desire to have the ground approved.
Recent meetings between Otago cricket, Otago Country cricket and the Molyneux Park Trust Board had been positive, Dykes said.
But the fact remained the ground needed work to regain its warrant of fitness.
"Whether we like it or not, the modern game demands much more stringent attention to rules around pitch condition and associated resources, and what might have sufficed 15 years ago is no longer adequate today."
