GOLDEN CHANCE Aussie cricket teams bound for Townsville
HISTORY will be made when the Australian cricket teams make their way to Townsville this year.
Never have official international fixtures featuring the senior professional sides graced Riverway Stadium.
But come August 15 that will all change, when the Australian men’s side take on Zimbabwe.
They will return on October 4 for a T20 clash with the West Indies, with the women’s Southern Stars side to take on New Zealand in an ODI the following day.
And the implications are numerous.
Townsville Cricket president Peter Fry sees not just a sporting benefit but an economic one for the region – particularly if crowds are permitted by that point.
While witnessing the likes of David Warner and Steve Smith going toe-to-toe with Chris G a y l e will undoubtedly stir plenty of interest, Fry said his highest hopes were reserved for the development of the women’s game in Townsville.
“We’ve got a great following with the (Queensland) Fire up here, but to bring the Australia side into Townsville, I think that’s really going to give not just cricket but women’s sport a kick along in the region,” he said.
“We’ll see the opportunity of those people in our own backyard and the ability coming from the same things – like the girls in the Super Sixes.
“There is a pathway now for young girls to get into sport and we’ve seen the likes of Meagan Dixon and Haidee Birkett go down to Brisbane and make a name for themselves.
“Now these girls can see the Australia players and have more belief in what they’re doing.”
According to Fry, plans to bring international fixtures to Townsville have been in the works for years in discussions between Cricket Australia, Queensland Cricket and Townsville City Council. Whether c r o w d s were permitted or not, Fry said broadcasting would provide a platform to showcase the region to a global audience.
Given the havoc COVID-19 has wreaked, he said now was the time to find positives.
That was the role he said sport could play in these unprecedented times, especially for a sport-centric community like Townsville.
“Australians resonate so much with sport, if we’ve got positive things happening in sport people feel a lot better,” Fry said.