Darwin is likely to host international cricket again after a 17-year gap. Cricket Australia is planning to schedule two T20 international matches against South Africa in Darwin in August.
Officials are expected to announce the schedule for the winter series later this month. South Africa is scheduled to tour Australia for three T20Is and three ODIs. The current plan suggests that Darwin will host the first two T20Is, followed by a T20I and an ODI in Cairns, and the final two ODIs in Mackay.
The schedule is not yet final, and the matches at TIO Stadium depend on finalized agreements. If confirmed, this would be a significant boost for Darwin, which last hosted a senior international cricket match in 2008, when they played two ODIs against Bangladesh.
Local officials are optimistic that the matches will be confirmed.
Gavin Dovey, CEO of Northern Territory Cricket, stated that since his arrival in 2023, he has been focused on bringing international cricket back to the Northern Territory. He mentioned that it has been far too long since 2008 since they last hosted international cricket.
Dovey highlighted the significant changes in cricket since then, pointing to the popularity of events like the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and cricket’s return to the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028 as examples of its growing influence.
These games would also be the first men’s T20Is played in the Northern Territory. So far, 107 men’s T20Is have been played in Australia. Since Darwin last hosted an international match, 536 men’s and women’s matches across all formats have been held in Australia at 27 different locations.
Darwin has been actively developing its winter cricket schedule in recent years, with the Top End T20 league expanding to include several Big Bash League franchises and international teams. The August window could become more attractive for international cricket in the coming years, especially with a two-Test series against Bangladesh planned for that period in 2026.
While North Queensland is expected to host at least one of those Tests, Darwin could be considered as a venue for another. Scheduling white-ball cricket in this window in the future could also help to ease the pressure on the summer schedule and avoid conflicts with the Big Bash League.
Dovey emphasized the benefits of their winter cricket window for both Australian cricket and the Northern Territory, noting Cricket Australia’s interest in utilizing it.
He also acknowledged the Northern Territory Government’s recognition of the economic benefits of hosting a global sport like cricket and the positive impact of having international cricket stars in the community. He expressed hope that they can make it happen, envisioning Darwin as the potential starting point for the international cricket summer.
