AFLNT fully supports NT Cricket’s plans to use a drop-in wicket at TIO Stadium later this year

Grand plans to bring international cricket back to Darwin’s biggest sports stadium for the first time in a decade has drawn comment from the biggest user of the facility.

Plans to use a drop-in wicket at TIO Stadium later this year has the full support of AFLNT.

This publication revealed earlier this month a main priority for NT Cricket and its new chief executive Gavin Dovey was to return international cricket to Darwin after more than a decade in the wilderness.

Dovey said plans were progressing well for cricket to make a comeback at the Marrara ground, with Under 19 World Cup qualifiers and the Strike League starting next month in Darwin.

In a statement, AFLNT boss Sam Gibson said the league had been working closely with NT Cricket “around the potential to host some games” at TIO in 2023 and was supportive of the concept.

“There will be no impact on the NTFL as a result of these games,” Gibson said.

Cricket’s big TIO return paves way for international matches in NT

International cricket could return to TIO Stadium later this year for the first time since 2008.

This publication understands NT Cricket is just several weeks away from having all aspects of a plan in place for the sport to return to the Marrara ground with a drop-in wicket.

Darwin will host qualifiers for the Under-19 World Cup from June 15, while the annual Cricket 365 program — including the Strike League and the Top End T20 Series — also starts next month.

New NT Cricket chief executive Gavin Dovey said he had made it very clear from the start of his tenure that getting international fixtures back to Darwin was a top priority.

The Top End Twenty20 Challenge match between Queensland and Victoria was played at TIO Stadium in 2010.

“We want to play an elevated role in Australian cricket and part of that is getting premium content, international cricket back here,” Dovey said.

“I want international cricket back in the Territory, I have made that one of my top priorities, we want to play a greater role in Australian cricket.

“A critical part is getting TIO back up and running because it’s an ICC accredited venue.

“We’re hopeful we’ll make it happen this year. I’ll be working hard at doing that, it’s not a secret that’s what we’re trying to do.”

New NT Cricket CEO Gavin Dovey wants to see international cricket back in Darwin.

However, he said it remained a “big project” and there were other aspects the peak body had to work through to ensure it could host cricket in 2023.

“We’re working very hard with all the various stakeholders trying to make that happen, to achieve that this year, see some content this year, that’s the plan,” he said.

“There’s still a few things that need to be done to make that happen, but we’ve started the process and we’ve given ourselves a shot.”

International cricket was last played in Darwin in 2008, with a one-day-er between Australia and Bangladesh at TIO.

It has also hosted two Test matches — a 2003 fixture between Australia and Bangladesh and another the following year between the Aussies and Sri Lanka — with Dovey suggesting it was “too long” ago.

Shane Watson training in the nets at TIO Stadium ahead of the 2008 one day match against Bangladesh.

“A great sporting community like the NT and here in Darwin, that’s just too long,” he said.

“It’s exciting to try and get it back — step one is trying to get a drop-in wicket back on TIO and start getting some content on there.

“Start building a business case that puts us in a position to be able to put our hand up for content when it becomes available.

“We’re working on that, we want that to happen.”