Cricket Australia is 'confident' Darwin will host international cricket in 'coming seasons'
CRICKET Australia believes international cricket will be scheduled in Darwin in “coming seasons” beyond the looming Australian summer.
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CRICKET Australia is “confident” international cricket will be scheduled in Darwin in “coming seasons” beyond the looming Australian summer.
Cricket Australia announced on Monday morning three one day internationals between Australia and Zimbabwe will be played at the Riverway Stadium in Townsville on August 28, 31 and September 3 as a warm up for the T20 World Cup in Australia.
NT Cricket had pitched for hosting one of the games in August but was eventually passed up, with the cost of a drop-in wicket at Marrara one of the key considerations.
However, Darwin is still in the mix for hosting matches as soon as 2024.
In a statement, a CA spokesman told the NT News Darwin would be seriously considered for its next Future Tours Program.
“While Darwin will not be hosting an international game this summer, we are working closely with NT Cricket and the NT Government ahead of the ICC Future Tours Program being released in the next few months and are confident Darwin will host international cricket in coming seasons,” the spokesman said.
Australia’s existing program concludes with the 2023 World Cup in October and November.
Northern Territory Cricket chief executive Joel Morrison was hopeful of games being scheduled in the Top End in 2024 and beyond.
“While we’re clearly disappointed with the decision not to stage an ODI in Darwin this year, we are encouraged by Cricket Australia’s commitment to bringing international matches back to the Top End,” Morrison said.
“The work we completed with Cricket Australia and the NT Government in pursuit of the opportunity this year has positioned us very well to secure future matches in Darwin.
“Our focus will now turn to getting TIO Stadium ready to host international fixtures in the near future, and we look forward to working with the NT Government to return cricket to the venue as part of our 2023 Cricket 365 program.”
Darwin unlikely to host one day international cricket in August
THERE are rising concerns Darwin has lost its chance to host a one day international in August.
The Herald Sun reported earlier this month that Townsville was expected to host three one day internationals in August after Darwin was considered following Cricket Australia staff visiting the Territory recently to assess the cost of playing at Marrara.
However, an official schedule for the upcoming cricket season has not yet been locked in.
NT Cricket chief executive Joel Morrison said recently the peak body had done all it could to convince Cricket Australia of hosting a game but the expense of a drop in wicket could be a sticking point.
Several sources, both local and interstate, have told the NT News that it appeared Darwin's bid had been rejected.
“They won’t be in Darwin anymore. That was several weeks ago so I guess (it’s) possible it’s changed again but sounded like Townsville... was locked in,” one source said.
Darwin and District Cricket Competition management committee president Lachlan Baird said it was disappointing news for Territory cricket fans if rumblings were correct.
“International cricket would be wonderful for the cricket community,” he said.
“If it cannot proceed in 2022 hopefully we will see it return to the Territory in the new future.”
A NT Cricket spokeswoman said it had not received an update and was “still waiting” on a decision, which is expected in coming days.
Cricket Australia was contacted for comment.
The Territory will be forever linked to the career of Andrew Symonds
The Territory will forever be linked to the final days of late Australian cricketer Andrew Symonds' career who died in a single vehicle car crash near Townsville on Saturday night.
Almost fourteen years ago, during a three-match series in Darwin against Bangladesh, Symonds was infamously sent home for going fishing instead of attending a team meeting.
In fact, the big Queenslander had organised for a friend to drive his boat across from Brisbane for some outdoor activities away from the wicket.
Symonds maintained it was all a misunderstanding but Cricket Australia officials were far from impressed after a burgeoning rap sheet in recent years, and gave him the boot.
History will show it was one of the final body blows to his career which ultimately concluded at international level in May, 2009 in Abu Dhabi against Pakistan.
But that NT tour will always provide an insight into the character and enduring charm of Symonds; one of the game's last true mavericks who often did things his way.
And, that 2008 trip, and the man they called "Roy", have been remembered fondly by former teammate, Brett Geeves.
He may have lost his bowling boots to a pair of local kleptomaniacs, and copped a brutal sledge from an under siege Symonds in business class on the flight to Darwin, but Geeves only has fond memories of making his international debut on that trip.
Geeves, who played his first ODI in green and gold against Bangladesh at Marrara on August 30, 2008, remembers his pre-series expectations of running the drinks for three games at TIO Stadium being suddenly up-ended.
With Brett Lee missing due to personal issues, Symonds later kicked off the tour for going fishing instead of attending a team meeting and Shane Watson pulling out on the morning of the match, Geeves got a late call up for game one where he took 2/11 off five overs.
At the very least, Geeves was simply happy getting to know the players he bowled to during his Sheffield Shield career.
One in particular was Brad Haddin, who Geeves had encountered some “pretty heated battles” with.
"He was a competitor, he and I would always argue with one another in domestic cricket,” Geeves tells the NT News.
“You never really get to know (the opposition). Seeing a different side of those guys was great.”
It didn’t take long to see the looser side of the man they call “Roy”, either.
Geeves recalls sitting in business class on the flight to Darwin, next to Mike “Mr Cricket” Hussey, happily reading a book when Symonds suddenly yelled out from behind.
“Big Roy, at the back of business class, must have seen me sit down with my book, I hadn’t seen him at any stage during the camp, it was my first interaction with him,” Geeves recalls.
“He bellows from the back of business class: ‘Oi Greeves’ and called me a derogatory name.
“I turned around and said: ‘What?’
“He goes: ‘Nice glasses’ and started laughing. I started laughing too, I loved it, I thought it was great and I flipped the bird at him.”
However, he recalls Hussey being “beside himself” at Symonds’ outburst, perhaps speaking to the tensions surrounding the Queenslander’s recent behaviour, with Cricket Australia advising him the following month to seek psychological help.
“I could tell that things were a little icy for Roy, the way Huss reacted,” he says.
“It was obvious he was under the pump from a behavioural standpoint.
“We got off the flight and the team manager made a bit of a deal of it as well. It felt completely over the top.”
Things quickly turned pear-shaped after Symonds failed to show for a team meeting, electing to go fishing instead after a friend had driven his boat to Darwin from Brisbane.
“There was some concern about where he was and what had happened to him,” he says.
“From all reports he got back to the hotel and was pretty stonkered.
“He’d had himself a day on the boat. He probably did deserve a consequence for that.”
However, Geeves had some sympathy for Symonds, who had started his career in a different era.
"I was really sad for him because he was the epitome of professionalism from 1994 to 2004, the game was played by part time workers and piss drinkers effectively,” he said.
“Boozehounds who played first class cricket.”
The Symonds outburst wasn't the only thing which surprised Geeves.
Upon arrival, he noticed the players went off to the local supermarket to prep their own meals.
“They lived a fairly normal life whereas I was kinda excited by the thought of two weeks of eating high-end steaks, getting out and enjoying the local restaurants and pubs,” he says.
So as Symonds' career was winding down, another suddenly took off after Shane Watson pulled out on the morning of the first match.
“I’d come up a rung,” Geeves recalls.
“Shane Watson did his back in the morning putting his mascara on in the bathroom (laughs).
“I’m not really expecting to play that game.
“I’m at breakfast about to go nuts on the buffet and Michael Clarke comes over and says: ‘You’re in’.
“As a kid you dream about making your debut on Boxing Day, 100,000 people.
“For my debut to come in front of 6000 drunk backpackers was kinda fitting for my approach to the game.”
Packing only one pair of bowling boots for the trip, Geeves was aghast to blow out his left shoe in his second over, forcing Mitchell Johnson to run on a pair of his own as replacements.
Geeves remembers getting “nothing but love” from the local crowd, until the start of his second over.
Standing at the top of his mark after bowling his first ball, he suddenly noticed a hush come over the Marrara crowd.
That’s when he spotted a couple of local fans attempting to steal his boots and his drink bottle by the fence down at fine leg.
“I look down to where my drink bottle and shoes are and there’s a lady dangling her son by the feet over the fence and they’re stealing my shoes and my drink bottle,” he says.
“I’m pissing myself, it’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.
“They ‘shooed off’, never to be seen again, the boots or the drink bottle.
“For my debut to encompass all of that humour, and all of those crazy happenings, was kinda perfect.”
The only disappointment for Geeves was failing to get a hit in Australia's innings.
Coming into bat with only a few balls remaining, he considered doing a “fake slip” as Hussey kept punching twos to keep the strike.
Chappell backs one day international in Darwin
The former Australian captain told the NT News that Darwin was an excellent location to host “developing countries” such as Zimbabwe, who are scheduled to play three one day internationals in August in Northern Australia.
Cricket Australia is due to make an announcement on the location of the games this month.
Chappell said he was a “great fan” of playing more cricket up north, including Alice Springs, which would increase local participation in the sport.
“I’ve been to Darwin many times… I would love to see it developed as a cricket-playing area,” Chappell said.
“I think it’s a great location, particularly middle of the year, just a great opportunity to get international sport there in a growing region which offers different conditions, from other parts of Australia.
“Particularly at that time of the year when you can’t play in the southern states.
“I’m a big fan of the NT and Darwin as a venue. I think it’s important to keep cricket growing in all parts of Australia.”
He hoped a precedent had been set with the Australian men's team training in Darwin before a tour of Bangladesh in 2017.
“It’s an ideal launching pad for an international team to many parts of the world, not least the subcontinent,” he said.
“That’s something else that needs to be explored. I think the opportunity is there.”
He also said the new Cricket 365 program was a “fabulous initiative”, which brought short form stars from across the country to the Territory for the Strike League.
“It’s what has to happen in the region for the game to continue to grow,” he said.
International cricket has not been played in the Territory since 2008 when Australia hosted Bangladesh for three one day internationals.
However, Chappell stopped short of saying the Territory had been ignored for nearly 14 years.
He said Darwin could play a key part in Cricket Australia’s overall strategy to have a variety of venues where cricket can be played all year round.
“The opportunities to play (mid-year)... are there,” he said.
“I’m a big believer that we need to play more cricket in the off-season.
“We’re not going to travel or take on (lower ranked countries)… in the middle of our summer, so it’s a great opportunity to make up commitments to developing countries.”
However, he stressed the facilities and playing conditions needed to be at an international level in Darwin and Alice Springs to host games.
Personally, Chappell has visited the Territory many times through his involvement in junior development and once played in a charity game involving Joel Garner at Gardens Oval.
“I loved the Gardens facility, I thought that was a terrific ground,” he said.
One "expensive" impediment thwarting Darwin's bid for a one day international cricket match
Darwin is “firmly in contention” to host a 50 over one day international match against Zimbabwe in August but the requirement for a drop in wicket was a “very expensive” consideration, NT Cricket says.
NT Cricket chief executive Joel Morrison said on ABC on Wednesday morning the peak body had put its "best foot forward” to host a one day international match at TIO Stadium.
“We’re ultimately in competition with far north Queensland,” Morrison said.
“We’re firmly in contention.
“It’s certainly something we’re working very hard to secure, whether or not we land it is now a matter for Cricket Australia.
“We believe we’ve put our best foot forward to showcase what it could look like here in Darwin.
“We’re ultimately waiting on what the decision from Cricket Australia will be. We expect to know within this month.”
However, he said it was going to be “very expensive” to host the event, as it would require a drop in wicket, whereas venues in far north Queensland were equipped with turf wickets already.
“While we’ve done a lot of work to reduce the cost of what the match would look like here in Darwin, ultimately we can’t circumnavigate that challenge,” he said.
“That’s probably the one biggest impediment for us at this stage.”
He said the clay content of its drop in wicket was similar to that found in Perth, which could make for a “fast and bouncy” pitch.
Cricket Australia has declined to comment at this point, with Men’s Future Tours Programme meetings to be held over coming weeks to lock in international schedules.
Darwin firms to host international cricket in August
Darwin is firming to host at least one international cricket match in August involving a touring Zimbabwe.
The NT News understands Cricket Australia staff were in the Territory recently to assess the cost of playing matches in Darwin, with a decision expected to be made public this month.
All three matches, which have been slated for August and are proposed to include both 50-over and T20 fixtures, are expected to be played in Darwin, far north Queensland, or both.
The NT News understands NT Cricket has done all it can to push the prospect of Darwin hosting a match and it was now a decision for Cricket Australia.
One Darwin cricket executive said "planning was reasonably advanced" for a local match with the suitability of local drop in wickets reportedly one of the sticking points for a game going ahead at Marrara.
A three-match tour in August, 2020 was postponed in June of that year due to Covid, which would have ended a 12-year absence of international cricket in the Territory.
Darwin was proposed as a host for two of the abandoned games.
It last hosted an international match in 2008.
The Territory capital has hosted four ODIs previously – all against Bangladesh – in 2003, and three from August 30 to September 6, 2008.
Bangladesh (July 18-20, 2003) and Sri Lanka (July 1-3, 2004) have also played Tests in Darwin in dry-season conditions.
All those games were at TIO Stadium.
Australia’s senior men’s squad have not visited Darwin since a training camp in mid-2017 ahead of a tour to Bangladesh.
Sports Minister Kate Worden told NT News an international cricket match would be a big boost for the economy and local tourism.
“We have great facilities here in the Territory and it would be an exciting opportunity for NT Cricket if they can score this game in the Top End,” Minister Worden said.
Cricket Australia has been contacted for comment.
Meanwhile, NT Cricket is also expected to release further details of its Cricket 365 program soon.
Darwin could host touring Zimbabwean cricket team
A Zimbabwean tour of Northern Australia could be back on, 19 months after it was initially cancelled.
A three-match tour in August, 2020 was postponed in June of that year due to Covid, which would have ended a 12-year absence of international cricket in the Territory.
Darwin was proposed as a host for two of the abandoned games.
In a statement to the NT News, NT Cricket chief executive Joel Morrison said the peak body was “aware of the possibility” of a winter tour in Northern Australia.
“Should the tour proceed we look forward to working with Cricket Australia on the merits of considering Darwin as a host venue,” Morrison said.
Morrison declined to answer further questions from NT News but told ABC Radio on Saturday Zimbabwe could play games in the Territory.
“If that tour is back on the cards, then absolutely Darwin would be in consideration and we’d want to make sure we put our best foot forward to be a chance of hosting one of those games,” Morrison said.
“We’ll certainly do everything we can to prepare.
“It would be great to have international cricket return to Darwin.
“I’d be confident the Darwin community would turn out in large numbers.”
Darwin and District Cricket Association president Lachlan Baird said a possible international match in the NT was “in its infancy” and it had sought feedback from clubs about a possible fixture change.
“Darwin has a good chance, reading the tea leaves,” Baird said.
“There’s clearly a chance for it to happen.
“International cricket does not come to the Top End too often.
“But in these Covid times things are a possibility rather than a probability, that seems to be the status quo.”
Darwin last hosted an international match in 2008.
The Territory capital has hosted four ODIs previously – all against Bangladesh – in 2003, and three from August 30 to September 6, 2008.
Bangladesh (July 18-20, 2003) and Sri Lanka (July 1-3, 2004) have also played Tests in Darwin in dry-season conditions.
All those games were at TIO Stadium.
Australia’s senior men’s squad have not visited Darwin since a training camp in mid-2017 ahead of a tour to Bangladesh.
Zimbabwe is currently ranked 14th in the world in one day cricket and 11th in T20s.
Cricket Australia declined to comment.
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