The Black Caps-Australia and White Ferns-England doubleheader at Bay Oval will played in front of a sold out crowd. Photo / File
The Black Caps-Australia and White Ferns-England doubleheader at Bay Oval will played in front of a sold out crowd. Photo / File
When the Black Caps host Australia at the Bay Oval on March 7 there will not be an empty seat in the house.
The Mount Maunganui ground, which is quickly becoming a favourite with cricket enthusiasts, has sold out of general admission tickets to the doubleheader of Twenty20 matches between the White Ferns and England and Black Caps and Australia.
It is the third T20 in the series between the Black Caps and Australia to sell out, with all tickets sold for game one at Christchurch's Hagley Oval tonight and game two at the University of Otago Oval in Dunedin on Thursday as well.
Recent upgrades to the ground mean it will be the Bay Oval's biggest crowd.
Black Caps bowler and Tauranga local Trent Boult said he was not surprised the Bay Oval doubleheader was a sell out.
"It's going to be exciting to get some T20 cricket out there, he said.
Mount Maunganui local Trent Boult speaks to media at the Bay Oval last year. Photo / File
"A team like Australia needs no introduction. I'm sure it will be an amazing occasion - the people of the Bay over the Kaimais in the Waikato will make the journey over and hopefully come watch some good cricket."
Boult said a lot of credit had to be given to Bay Oval turf manager Jared Carter and the team for the way the ground had developed into a mainstay on the New Zealand Cricket calendar.
"The whole Bay Oval family has put a lot of time into developing that ground. It's made tremendous strides in terms of the way it has developed to become the test venue it is now.
"I'm lucky to have been involved in a couple of test matches that have gone the full five days there - I'll have to have a word with the groundsmen about maybe quickening them up a little bit.
Black Caps players celebrate an early Bangladesh wicket during action in a Twenty20 against Bangladesh at Bay Oval. Photo / File
"Some good cricket has been played there. It's good for the region and hopefully inspiring a few kids in the Bay to play cricket, to get out there and play the game I fell in love with a long time ago."
He said he had memories of playing at the ground when it was still just a part of Blake Park, before it was the Bay Oval.
"A lot of club success out there. I remember going down and watching the Northern Districts boys there on Blake 1 which is by the hockey turfs now.
"It's slowly developed, moved around and taken shape. It's a great little hub there for sport in the Bay and I know a lot of people are proud of it."
Carter said he and his team were rapt to hear the match was a sell-out.
"It's one of the reasons you do the job, to get the crowd there, have a good time and put on a spectacle for the spectators," he said.
"We've had some pretty good crowds over the last few years and hopefully we can maintain that."
He said it was exciting to know the English women and Australian men were going to be taking on New Zealand at the Bay.
