Australia, New Zealand Set For Day-Night Test In 2015

Wellington: Australia and New Zealand cricket officials say their national teams will likely to meet in the world's first day-night Test match in November next year, either at Hobart or Adelaide.

James Sutherland, Cricket Australia chief, and his New Zealand Cricket counterpart David White said Monday that talks in Melbourne last week advanced plans for the match and both countries "are supportive of the innovation and its clear benefits."

New Zealand is scheduled to tour Australia from late 2015 and Sutherland said the venue for the historic match had been narrowed down to the Adelaide Oval or Hobart's Blundstone Arena. Play would likely begin at 2 p.m. each day and a pink ball will be used.

The ICC gave its approval in 2012 for member countries to work together on staging Test cricket under lights. Sutherland said, "We are serious about pushing ahead with the concept of day-night test cricket. We feel it will only strengthen the position and possibilities for Test cricket in many parts of the world. There are many Test matches played during non-holiday periods when adults are at work and kids are at school and that's not an ideal way to promote the highest form of the game."

Sutherland also said, "The summer holiday period in Australia really lends itself to Test cricket, but at other times of the year it can be difficult for fans to attend or watch Test matches, be it here or in other parts of the world. That is really at the heart of the issue. The challenge is to try to make Test cricket more accessible for fans."

ICC chief executive David Richardson said he supported the idea. "I am pleased that after the ICC board gave its thumbs-up during the 2012 annual conference and following extensive trials and debates, we are now at a stage when two of our members are contemplating playing the first-ever day-night Test," he said. "We'd like one or two warm-up games in similar conditions leading up to that Test," White said while speaking to the New Zealand Herald.

New Zealand chief executive David White supported this idea in Melbourne during the annual ICC conference. "We're scheduling a trial fixture in the upcoming season so we can examine more closely issues such as dew, and its affect on the condition of the ball. Ensuring the ball behaves as closely as possible to the red ball is vital for the success of this initiative."