Perth Stadium set for Summer of Cricket
Perth is prepared for a sizzling summer of cricket, with the wicket installed at Perth Stadium ahead of the upcoming NRMA Insurance West Test and KFC BBL|13 season.
Perth is prepared for a sizzling summer of cricket, with the wicket installed at Perth Stadium ahead of the upcoming NRMA Insurance West Test and KFC BBL|13 season.
The World Cup and ICC World Test Champion Australians will take on Pakistan from December 14-18 at Perth Stadium, showcasing Western Australia to the world.
This will be followed by five Perth Scorchers BBL|13 home matches, with the reigning titleholders to play their first home match on December 20.
The drop-in wicket has been curated at the stadium since February, tended to daily by WA Cricket curators in the nursery located next to the outdoor practice wickets on the northern side of the stadium.
Perth Stadium CEO Mike McKenna said stadium staff quickly turned their focus to the cricket season following Coldplay’s epic two-night stand at the venue bringing more than 120,000 people through the gates.
“We are really confident. The turnaround (between concert and sport) is actually a lot longer than we’ve had for football in the past,” he said.
“This turf goes in and it’s pretty much ready to play within a couple of days. At the moment it is looking pretty pristine, with a bit of weather we’re getting here, bit of humid weather, bit of rain, that will really help the grass grow.
The drop-in wicket contains the same local clay and grass species as the pitches at the WACA Ground and is closely monitored during its growth to replicate the Ground’s fast and bouncy nature.
Last week, the drop-in wicket was moved by a 30-meter-long, 40-tonne cricket wicket transporter onto the stadium playing surface. The machine is the only one of its kind in Western Australia.
The wicket square consists of five drop-in pitches, with each one weighing around 25 tonnes and the entire installation process taking more than two days.
For Australia’s Test match against Pakistan, fans are called upon to fill the West Test Hill, an exciting new in-stadium experience for fans to be built across four bays within Perth Stadium and inspired by cricket’s rich history at the WACA Ground.
McKenna is optimistic the rebranding to The West Test will help grow attendance for test cricket at the venue in 2023 and for years to come.
“Everyone aspires to more and as we start to build the brand of The West Test we are going to see a lot more people coming here,” McKenna said.
“Remembering of course that following Pakistan we have India next year and the Ashes the following year and I’m sure we will see much bigger crowds for both of those events.
“There is no place like the West Test and we are hoping that big crowds come along throughout the summer to experience the summer of cricket.”
Local favourite and member of Australia’s World Cup winning squad Mitch Marsh said he was excited to be back home following the success in India.
“It’s been a crazy couple of weeks. When you spend a few days celebrating and then a few days travelling home, it probably took a week to really settle in and reflect on what we were able to accomplish as a team,” Marsh said.
“Especially being back in Perth, the amount of people that are coming up and congratulating me. Sometimes when you’re away you can forget how many people are watching back home and how proud Australians are.
“I’m really happy we were able to make the whole country proud and to be a World Cup winner is an amazing feeling.”
Tickets for the NRMA Insurance West Test can be purchased here and Scorchers’ BBL|13 tickets here, with the matches to be broadcast live on Foxtel, Seven Network and Kayo.
Fans will also enjoy five spectacular ‘themed’ home matches during BBL|13, with further announcements to be made shortly.
Perth is prepared for a sizzling summer of cricket, with the wicket installed at Perth Stadium ahead of the upcoming NRMA Insurance West Test and KFC BBL|13 season.
The World Cup and ICC World Test Champion Australians will take on Pakistan from December 14-18 at Perth Stadium, showcasing Western Australia to the world.
This will be followed by five Perth Scorchers BBL|13 home matches, with the reigning titleholders to play their first home match on December 20.
The drop-in wicket has been curated at the stadium since February, tended to daily by WA Cricket curators in the nursery located next to the outdoor practice wickets on the northern side of the stadium.
Perth Stadium CEO Mike McKenna said stadium staff quickly turned their focus to the cricket season following Coldplay’s epic two-night stand at the venue bringing more than 120,000 people through the gates.
“We are really confident. The turnaround (between concert and sport) is actually a lot longer than we’ve had for football in the past,” he said.
“This turf goes in and it’s pretty much ready to play within a couple of days. At the moment it is looking pretty pristine, with a bit of weather we’re getting here, bit of humid weather, bit of rain, that will really help the grass grow.
The drop-in wicket contains the same local clay and grass species as the pitches at the WACA Ground and is closely monitored during its growth to replicate the Ground’s fast and bouncy nature.
Last week, the drop-in wicket was moved by a 30-meter-long, 40-tonne cricket wicket transporter onto the stadium playing surface. The machine is the only one of its kind in Western Australia.
The wicket square consists of five drop-in pitches, with each one weighing around 25 tonnes and the entire installation process taking more than two days.
For Australia’s Test match against Pakistan, fans are called upon to fill the West Test Hill, an exciting new in-stadium experience for fans to be built across four bays within Perth Stadium and inspired by cricket’s rich history at the WACA Ground.
McKenna is optimistic the rebranding to The West Test will help grow attendance for test cricket at the venue in 2023 and for years to come.
“Everyone aspires to more and as we start to build the brand of The West Test we are going to see a lot more people coming here,” McKenna said.
“Remembering of course that following Pakistan we have India next year and the Ashes the following year and I’m sure we will see much bigger crowds for both of those events.
“There is no place like the West Test and we are hoping that big crowds come along throughout the summer to experience the summer of cricket.”
Local favourite and member of Australia’s World Cup winning squad Mitch Marsh said he was excited to be back home following the success in India.
“It’s been a crazy couple of weeks. When you spend a few days celebrating and then a few days travelling home, it probably took a week to really settle in and reflect on what we were able to accomplish as a team,” Marsh said.
“Especially being back in Perth, the amount of people that are coming up and congratulating me. Sometimes when you’re away you can forget how many people are watching back home and how proud Australians are.
“I’m really happy we were able to make the whole country proud and to be a World Cup winner is an amazing feeling.”
Tickets for the NRMA Insurance West Test can be purchased here and Scorchers’ BBL|13 tickets here, with the matches to be broadcast live on Foxtel, Seven Network and Kayo.
Fans will also enjoy five spectacular ‘themed’ home matches during BBL|13, with further announcements to be made shortly.
