South African cricket tour dates reported for Cairns and Mackay in August

The dates for the upcoming South African T20 and ODI matches in Cairns and Mackay have been locked in. Find out when the Aussies will take on the Proteas exclusively here.

The Big Bash League Twenty20 cricket match between the Brisbane Heat and the Melbourne Renegades at Cazalys Stadium. Picture: Brendan Radke

Two Queensland regional hubs are in for a week-long international cricket festival, with dates locked in for South African tour games in Cairns and Mackay.

It’s understood Cairns’ Cazalys Stadium will host the Proteas on August 16 and 19, while Mackay’s Great Barrier Reef Arena will hold games on August 22 and 24 for a one one day international and T20.

It’s expected Cricket Australia will announce the dates later this week.

The expected dates for the games at Darwin’s TIO Stadium are yet to be revealed.

As reported in this masthead in January, the opportunity to host a top level international men’s cricket team is a major coup for all three cities, and will be the first time ever that Mackay has hosted the Australian men’s cricket team for a formal match.

Cricket returned to TIO stadium for the first time in 15 years back in 2023 after the instalment of a drop-in wicket. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

With the two teams set to be fresh off their World Test Championship final battle slated for mid-June, there’s hardly a better matchup for local fans to witness in world cricket.

Cairns last hosted the Australian men’s team back in September 2022, when New Zealand took on the Aussies in three ODIs at Cazalys, with Australia winning the series 3-0.

TIO Stadium last hosted international cricket back in 2008, when Australia hosted Bangladesh in three ODIs.

The stadium was unable to host cricket for the following 15 years, with a drop-in pitch installed back in 2023 paving the way for Darwin to host big time cricket events once again.

Originally published as South African cricket tour dates reported for Cairns and Mackay in August