Adelaide Oval staff prepare for pink ball Ashes Test

WE asked four Adelaide Oval staff members - of the 4500 employees on duty for the first ever day/night Ashes Test - about preparations for the biggest sporting event in the state.

FROM the scoreboard attendants to the bar staff or the dozens of volunteers, in the frontline or behind the scenes, they are the vital Adelaide Oval staff working hard to ensure the first ever day/night Ashes Test is a success.

More than 4500 employees will be on Oval duty from the first day of the Test on Saturday looking to make the wheels turn smoothly.

The Ashes Test, anticipated to attract a crowd of more than 200,000, will be the biggest event held at the venue and the facts and figures behind the operations are phenomenal.

The chip count alone is staggering with an estimated 3300kg of potato fries predicted to be consumed on day one and 32,000 bottles of water and soft drink downed over five days.

Adelaide Oval volunteer tour guide Nicki Titchener. Picture: Tait Schmaal

But the operations are far more than food and drink.

The Advertiser spoke with four staff members about their role running the biggest sporting event in South Australia.

Adelaide Oval member of staff Matt Wissell (ICT Manager). Picture: Tait Schmaal

Matt Wissell, (ICT manager)

From the systems that pay the wages of the 4500 employees to the functioning of the electronic scoreboard, Matt Wissell has responsibility for all things technological at the Adelaide Oval.

The 42-year-old from Burnside is full of nervous excitement for his first Test match but a good night’s sleep is proving difficult.

“All IT people lay awake at night worrying about what can go wrong,” the former management consultant with KPMG said. “But we’ve got very good redundancies built into our systems and an incredible fibre network backbone running throughout the stadium.

“The logistics of the Test are phenomenal but we arguably have the best mobile broadband of any stadium in the world.”

Adelaide Oval staff member Gina Cimarosti (Functions & Events Key Accounts Manager). Picture: Tait Schmaal

Gina Cimarosti (functions and events key accounts manager)

Looking to plan a major function during the Ashes Test? Gina is the one who will do all the hard yards to make it happen. There are 25 function rooms at the Oval and 15 functions will be in full swing on day one of the Test.

There are 14 functions booked on the second and third days, eight on the fourth day and two optimistic groups have booked in for day five.

“Overall we have 2100 guests booked in so far,” the 29-year-old from Daw Park said. “It’s my job to sort out menu requests, liaise with the chefs and other areas of operation. Each day of the Test I’ll be running around the stadium making sure everything is functioning properly and if I’ve done my job properly it will be smooth sailing.”

Gina, who worked eight years at West Adelaide Football Club in events management, has more than 200 staff.

“My first Test was the first day/night against New Zealand in 2015 but I’ve heard the Ashes is like nothing else so I’m very excited,” she added.

Adelaide Oval volunteer tour guide Nicki Titchener. Picture: Tait Schmaal

Nicki Titchener (volunteer tour guide)

She’s spent just over a year as an Adelaide Oval volunteer tour guide taking visitors to all parts of the historic ground and Nicki Titchener has “loved every minute”.

“People do this job because they love it and the Oval offers an excellent supportive structure for the more than 100 volunteer staff,” the 65-year-old, who still works part-time for Cystic Fibrosis SA, said.

“We get what I refer to as the Bible, a huge information book about the Oval’s history.

“I’ve been boning up on Ashes clashes but you can never predict what someone will ask you.” A cousin of Barmy Army founding member David Peacock, Nicki, originally from the UK will cheer for the hosts Australia.

Adelaide Oval staff member Andrew Sleczka (Operations Supervisor). Picture: Tait Schmaal

Andrew Sleczka (operations supervisor)

The 46-year-old from West Lakes supervises a team of around 300, including those overseeing carparking, checking entry tickets, ushers guiding patrons to seats and employees looking after guests in various marquees.

“This is my second Ashes Test and for the first one (2013) we didn’t have the east stand up and ready,” Mr Sleczka said.

“This will be a bit more demanding requiring a full team effort to make this work.”

“To be part of any major event is a big thrill and we take the attitude if we’re in it to have a good time then that’s going to rub off for our guests.”