Bellerive Oval’s Test match status hangs in balance

ONE of Tasmania’s hottest cricket summers will start with a bang on Saturday when Australia hosts South Africa in Hobart for the first time.

Former captain Ricky Ponting at Bellerive Oval, where an international Test match starts on Saturday.

ONE of Tasmania’s hottest cricket summers will start with a bang on Saturday when Australia hosts South Africa in Hobart for the first time.

It is just as significant at the turnstiles as on the playing field as Hobart’s Blundstone Arena tries to fight off competitors for its Test match status.

Cricket Tasmania chairman Andrew Gaggin said the state had been pushing hard for a contest against a world class competitor, with the Proteas ticking every box.

“It is no secret that Hobart is under pressure from other venues to retain its status as a regular Test match ground and next week is an opportunity for Tasmanians to show that they love and support Test match cricket,” Mr Gaggin said.

“Ticket prices are at an all-time low and with the game starting on a weekend we are looking to an attendance of 25,000 for the first two days.

“If we can achieve that then we will smash the Blundstone Arena Test match attendance record and for the first time have a total crowd exceeding 30,000. This will send out a firm message that Blundstone Arena is here to stay as a regular Test match venue.

“It will also assist our cause for further top line Test matches to be scheduled at the ground.”

While the Test is the main course of Hobart’s international summer, there is plenty on offer to suit the palate of every cricket fan’s appetite.

The Big Bash League, with its breathtaking momentum, rumbles into town next month.

For the first time, Hobart will have its own slice of Boxing Day action when the Hurricanes host the Melbourne Stars under the Blundstone Arena lights.

Originally published as Bellerive Oval’s Test match status hangs in balance