Covid-19 robbed us of an international twenty20.
Faith has returned it.
New Zealand Cricket released the Black Caps’ home international schedule yesterday and it features two games in Dunedin.
The University of Otago Oval will host a twenty20 match between the Black Caps and Australia on February 25, and the following month it will host a one-dayer against Bangladesh on March 13.
It is the former game which will cause the most excitement.
Australia was scheduled to play the Black Caps in a T20 game in Dunedin on March 24.
The global pandemic sweeping the planet meant the game was unable to go ahead.
But the good news for cricket fans in the deep south is the game has been reallocated.
It will be the first time Australia has played an international in Dunedin since it played an ODI here in February 2000.
That game was memorable for the Brett Lee bouncer which knocked Adam Parore’s helmet off his head and sent it crashing into the stumps.
They were not happy on the terraces that day.
Dunedin Venues Management Limited chief executive Terry Davies is happy, though. He was delighted by the announcement and what he said was a show of faith by NZC.
"It is good for cricket, good for the region and great for the city," he said.
"Anything we can bring into the city which is going to generate some traffic through the place is great.
"And I’m sure part of the consideration of bringing a game like this to Dunedin was that we lost that game back in March."
Davies said it was hard to say what a game of that calibre would be worth to the city in terms of its economic impact because of the uncertainty surrounding what restrictions might still be in place at the border.
"I’m not going to put numbers on it but anecdotally any major event that we put on here is wonderful because it gets people out and about spending."
The Black Caps will launch their home season with a T20 against the West Indies at Eden Park on November 27.
The teams will play three T20s and two tests.
Pakistan arrives in December and will play three T20s and two tests. The first test is scheduled to get under way on Boxing Day and the Bay Oval has won the right to host the match.
Australia will play five T20s in February and March and then Bangladesh arrives for three ODIs and three T20s.
The White Ferns can also look forward to an exciting summer of international cricket.
The England women’s side is confirmed to visit in February and March, and discussions are ongoing regarding a visit from the Australia women.
While the Government has granted approval only for the first two incoming teams, New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White is confident the other inbound tours will receive the green light.
White said NZC was aware of the challenging circumstances in which many New Zealanders had found themselves in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis and would be cutting the price of a general admission adult ticket by almost half.
“It might sound counter-intuitive to be lowering ticket prices at a time of great additional cost and expense to the game, but we think it’s the right thing to do,” he said.
The White Ferns’ home schedule will be announced at a later date but you can probably ink Dunedin in for a match.
