Healthy crowd expected at Oval for international match
FEWER than 200 tickets are left for next month’s match between Australia and New Zealand in Dunedin.
The game will be played at the University of Otago Oval on February 25, and tickets have been snapped up quickly.
Dunedin Venues Management Ltd chief executive Terry Davies said the tickets had proved very popular and there were fewer than 200 left.
The game is a twenty20 match and will start at 2pm. The ground will hold from 4500 to 5000 spectators.
Previously, the Oval had erected temporary grandstands and increased the capacity to about 8000; however, it had been decided to not have any large temporary stands, Davies said.
There would be some temporary buildings set up for corporate hospitality, which had sold out already.
He said the ticket sales showed there was plenty of interest in the game, and there had also been good interest in the one day international between the Black Caps and Bangladesh, to be played at the Oval on March 13.
The New Zealand side was playing well and there was always strong interest when the Blacks Caps played the Australians, he said.
The White Ferns will take on England at the Oval on February 26 and 28, and the Highlanders will kick off the Super Rugby Aotearoa season on February 26 at Forsyth Barr Stadium, with a match against the Crusaders. That makes for a busy few days for sport in the city, which Davies is looking forward to.
As for the weather, Davies said it was out of his control. In the last cricket season, the Oval was set to host the match between the White Ferns and South Africa in mid February but it was rained out.
The match between Australia and New Zealand in late March was than cancelled because of Covid19 restrictions.
New Zealand Cricket reported yesterday brisk ticket sales for the five T20 internationals between New Zealand and Australia.
The opening match of the series at Hagley Oval on February 22 was sold out, while the other three games in Wellington, Auckland and Tauranga had also had good sales.
The final three games of the series are also doubleheaders, the White Ferns playing England.