Hagley heads for Boxing Day sellout

HAGLEY OVAL is expected to be a sellout when test cricket comes back to Christchurch on Boxing Day.

New Zealand Cricket yesterday confirmed there were about 750 tickets left for the first day of the match between the Black Caps and Sri Lanka, as the new ground prepares to host the first test in the city since 2006.

‘‘The pre-sale interest in this test match has been unprecedented. There’s never been this number of pre-sales for a test match ever in New Zealand, so people want to come along and that’s great,’’ said Canterbury Cricket chief executive Lee Germon.

The ground is likely to host between 7000 and 8000 fans during the five days.

Germon admitted the numbers might seem small compared with an international rugby match but said it was significant for him and his staff.

‘‘It’s been nine years since we’ve had a test match and I’ve been in this role about seven. I think just about every day that I’ve been in this role, something to do with Hagley has been on my desk, so it has been a long time coming.

‘‘Having said that, I never gave up hope that we would get a wonderful international test venue across the line, and Hagley was always our wish and vision.

‘‘But there were times in the process when I wondered whether we going to get there or how long it might take. So there’s a mix of relief, I suppose, as well as satisfaction that we are able to get this across the line.’’

Although there was excitement at opening the gates to spectators, Germon said fans might have to be patient as he and his team worked through the problems that came with putting on an event of that size for the first time.

‘‘We want to give everyone a wonderful experience but there may be some teething issues – it’s a new venue and a new ground.

‘‘Getting people in and out and just catering for the scale of this match, which we haven’t done yet, we’d be naive if we didn’t think there would be a few issues.

‘‘It’s our goal to make this a really accessible family-friendly venue, and it’s our goal to do that for the Boxing Day test.’’

Germon and his team are excited but there is no time to sit back and enjoy the smell of freshly cut rye grass.

‘‘At the moment we’re just neck deep in getting the operations, logistics and ground set up and the like. So we haven’t got a lot of time at the moment to think about the significance of it.

‘‘Having said that, it is hugely satisfying to see international cricket come back to Christchurch.’’