Here's why Eden Park management painted one chair in green while all others are in grey
All the seats but one are painted in grey but that one particular seat is painted in green.
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At New Zealand’s famous Eden Park Stadium in Auckland, one can see an unusual seat among the thousands of seats. All the seats but one are painted in grey but that one particular seat is painted in green. Well, the reason behind it is the famous six that former New Zealand batsman Grant Elliott had hit in the 2015 World Cup semifinal.
All eyes were on Elliott as he faced Dale Steyn in the final over of that classic semifinal between New Zealand and South Africa at the Eden Park in 2015. New Zealand needed 5 runs from the last two balls to enter their first-ever final of any World Cup while the Proteas needed to defend 4 runs for the same as both teams were agonizingly close to storming into the World Cup-decider.
With the heartbeat racing and the fans glued to the edge of their seats, South Africa-born Elliott launched Steyn for a mighty six to take New Zealand into their first World Cup final in 11 attempts over 40 years. Steyn had banged a back of a length delivery and Elliott lifted it over wide long-on to take his side to a famous win.
The secret of the green seat
Grant Elliott’s shot exorcised the ghosts of the 1992 World Cup when his country had stumbled in the semifinal. He remained unbeaten on 84 off 73 balls. And to make sure that the six is never forgotten, the seat where Elliott’s shot landed has been immortalized as the Grant Elliot Seat. While all the seats at the Eden Park are painted in grey colour, that particular seat where the six landed has been painted in green.
Not only that, but there is also a text written behind the seat that reads: “Here Lies the Resting Place of Grant Elliott’s Mighty Six That Propelled the Blackcaps on March 24, 2015 into their maiden World Cup Final”. For good measure, it’s painted in the green of the South African jersey, lest anyone forget who the Kiwis had knocked out for their famous win. And it stands out amidst the sea of grey that covers the rest of the iconic venue as the lasting legacy of what Elliott rather modestly describes as “sort of a cool moment for me”.
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