Test cricket returns to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Auckland-c766’s Eden Park after six years – Cricket News Update
Auckland’s Eden Park will host its first Test match in more than six years when http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c749 early next year, stated New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Thursday.
England are scheduled to tour the Kiwis in February and March next year. Today, New Zealand Cricket announced its schedule of home series against the Poms, in which Eden Park of Auckland has been allotted the tour-concluding third Test (March 22-26), besides
a T20 International and an ODI.
"We felt the England tour presented a good opportunity to allocate a match to our largest city," the NZC chief executive, David White, told media reporters on Thursday.
"An inbound England tour brings in a large number of supporters who create a wonderful atmosphere and we are sure the people of Auckland will turn out in force to see two quality teams in…a fantastic occasion," White hoped.
Auckland’s Eden Park, which last hosted a Test match in March 2006 (New Zealand vs. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760), was revamped in 2011 as a venue to host the Rugby world cup. After renovation, the park was deprived of Test matches, while it continued hosting limited-overs
games. The Test matches were instead shifted to smaller grounds, including Dunedin’s University Oval, Napier's McLean Park and the Seddon Park of Hamilton.
All the venues, including Eden Park, hosted their last matches, five-day or one-day, during the home series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 in February-March this year.
Dunedin’s University Oval last hosted a Test match between the Black Caps and Poms in 1966 and David White was excited to see the reaction of crowd when the two side’s clash in the opening Test of the three-Test series on March 6, 2013.
"..it was important to schedule an international match in the South Island and a test match at University Oval was the logical choice," White added.
"It was 1966 when the England team last played a test match in Dunedin so I'm sure the locals will get behind the event."
England will play two T20 warm up matches against New Zealand XI, before formally starting the itinerary with a T20 International against the Black Caps at Auckland on February 9, 2013.
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