Ashes cricket will be played in Tasmania for the first time after Cricket Australia confirmed its choice of Hobart over Melbourne to host the day-night fifth Test against England from 14 January.
Members of the CA board voted unanimously for Blundstone Arena to host the series finale, after the plug was pulled on the initial venue of Optus Stadium in Perth due to Western Australia’s tough border controls.
Cricket Australia earlier this week called out for expressions of interest from its member states and territories, with Victoria’s MCG and the Tasmanian bid emerging as the leading contenders.
“The submissions we received were outstanding and we had no doubt that each of the venues that took part would have hosted a wonderful event,” CA chief executive Nick Hockley said.
“There were a range of considerations, including commercial, logistical and operational factors and on the balance of these, the CA board agreed on Blundstone Arena being the most appropriate venue to host the fifth men’s Ashes Test. We also acknowledge the postponement of the Australia and Afghanistan Test due to take place in Hobart earlier in the year played a part in the decision.”
The prime minister, Scott Morrison, had backed Hobart, which has never before hosted an Ashes Test and has not hosted Test cricket since 2016, while Tasmania’s premier Peter Gutwein had urged CA to “make history, not money” when making its decision.
The Victorian government had suggested the MCG’s “claims were undeniable” as an alternative venue. The SCG in Sydney and Canberra’s Manuka Oval were also in contention, while Queensland and Adelaide opted not to bid.
Among criteria on CA’s list for potential hosts was the ability to implement Covid-safe protocols, while commercial considerations were also taken into account. Another key, but not essential, requirement was a venue’s ability to stage a pink-ball match.
The preference for a second day-night Test of this series – after next week’s Adelaide Test – has been interpreted as an olive branch to broadcasters, who had been counting on the match in Perth being played during prime time in the eastern states.
CA made the call to put the series finale out to tender, rather than make a unilateral decision on the venue, given all six member associations are viewed as equal – each provides a director who sits on the CA board.
Hobart had been confident of securing hosting rights, given it had lost last month’s postponed one-off Test against Afghanistan after CA made a stand against the Taliban’s views on women’s cricket.
Blundstone Arena’s limited capacity of 20,000 – with Covid protocols reducing that further to 14,000 – did not count against its bid in the end. The MCG, which can hold 100,000, is already hosting its traditional Boxing Day Test from 26 December, although ticket sales have been slow.
