Cricket tragics rejoice as Cup slate locked in

TASMANIA’S Twenty20 World Cup will include a taste of the Netherlands, Scotland and Namibia.

The trio were confirmed as the nations to set up base in Hobart for the pool stage of next year’s event to take on Bangladesh, with the top two teams to progress through to the Super 12s and take on the big boys of world cricket.

Hobart will host one Super 12 game between New Zealand and one of the pool group teams.

Kingston’s Trevor de Kievit said his children Chloe, 13, and Lucas, 12, would be thrilled to see the Dutch play in their home city.

“They love their cricket, they go to most of the Hobart Hurricanes games and we’ve been to a few Boxing Day Tests,” de Kievit said.

“They (the Netherlands) have had a few decent players over the years.

“It will be great to see the World Cup in Hobart, we are really looking forward to it.”

Cricket Tasmania chief executive Nick Cummins said the allocation of teams playing at Blundstone Arena was a fantastic result for Tasmania.

“The Netherlands, Namibia, Scotland, Bangladesh and New Zealand is a great mix of nations to have play in Hobart during the World Cup,” said Cummins.

“It provides us with teams that have active communities here in the state, and teams that have a large population base on the mainland.”

“If you look at the first and second generation Bangladeshi community, it makes up around 53,000 Australians predominantly based in Melbourne and Sydney. They’ll travel for the matches, and because of the fixture they’ll stay a whole week.”

The State Government chipped in $3 million to bring the five games to the state.

“The Tasmanian Government is clearly committed to providing Tasmanians with world-class sporting entertainment, and we’re proud to be hosting an event like this at Blundstone Arena,” Cummins said.

Destination Southern Tasmania chief executive Alex Heroys said local businesses would receive an economic boost from the event.

“An international event of this level and popularity gives us terrific opportunities to keep showcasing the best Tasmania has to offer,” Mr Heroys said. “We already have a working group set up to ensure that we maximise the opportunities for the visitor economy across Tasmania, enhancing our profile and reputation in tourism, trade and liveability, while showcasing Bellerive Oval as a world-class sporting venue.”