Gold Coast cricketers to play pre-season game at Metricon ahead of city’s intro to top-level action

GOLD Coast cricketers will be the test pilots for Metricon Stadium’s drop-in wicket ahead of the city’s introduction to international action this summer.

GOLD Coast cricketers will be the test pilots for Metricon Stadium’s drop-in wicket ahead of the city’s introduction to international action this summer.

With Metricon to host Australia and South Africa in a Twenty20 international on November 17, as well as two Big Bash League fixtures on December 22 and January 1, the grand finalists in Cricket Gold Coast’s pre-season T20 competition will test the facilities in their silverware decider on October 13.

The game, the culmination of the six-week T20 tournament beginning on September 8, will be played under lights from 7pm and offer prizemoney to the winning team.

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Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland poses with the drop-in wicket being grown outside of Metricon Stadium. Picture: AAP Image/Dave Hunt

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CGC senior director Peter Goodchap said he hoped the event would become an annual fixture on the city’s cricket calendar.

“We’d like to make it a regular thing and have our T20 final there each year,” Goodchap said.

“Most people will go throughout their cricket career never playing at a major stadium so it’s a big opportunity. Because they have the drop-in wicket coming in ahead of the summer, (Metricon management) saw it as an opportunity to try and get a game in as practice for the wicket.

Cricket Gold Coast’s Peter Goodchap. Picture: Richard Gosling

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“It will be a white-ball Kookaburra, same as they use in the Big Bash. It will be a great opportunity for our guys to play under lights and test out the facilities.

“It’s a big deal for local cricketers.”

The T20 tournament will also serve as part of the selection process for the Gold Coast Thunder team to compete at the Bulls Masters T20 Challenge in September.