New Zealand Cricket, on Monday (August 28), announced that they will host their first-ever Day-Night Test when they take on England in the first Test of the two-match series from March 22 next year at Eden Park in Auckland.
The Auckland Council approved the proposal following Eden Park’s application to stage the Test match. Previously, the board had said that an “independent hearing” would have to clear the proposal to stage the Day-Night Test as it wasn’t allowed to play under lights at the venue on Sunday.
New Zealand Cricket chief operating officer Anthony Crummy was pleased after the independent panel gave the green signal for the Test match to go ahead. He pointed out that it would bring in more fans to the stadium.
“NZC has a particular focus on improving access to cricket for everyone,” noted Crummy. “Being able to stage the Test as a day-nighter is a significant step in the right direction.
“This means we can promote cricket in its most modern and vibrant incarnation; we can improve accessibility for new audiences, and we can showcase Eden Park, Auckland and New Zealand to a truly global audience,” he added.
As of now, five Day-Night Tests have been played across the cricketing world, with Australia staging the first-ever floodlit Test between the hosts and New Zealand in November 2015.
The recently-concluded Day-Night Test between England and Windies turned out to be a successful venture, with 70000 tickets being sold over three days.
“This a very important outcome for Test cricket lovers in New Zealand – simply because it allows us the opportunity to play the game at a time when more people can engage with it.
“We’re sure it will be a very successful event, and that English and New Zealand fans alike will make the most of the opportunity.”
The first session of the Test match will be played between 2pm to 4pm, with the second session commencing from 4.20pm and ending at 6.20pm. The final session will start at 7pm and conclude at 9pm.
