Test Cricket Returns To Eden Park

FOR GENERAL RELEASE

Thursday, 28 March 2013

When you’ve been away for a while it’s nice to come back with a bang and test cricket certainly did that at Eden Park this week.

It was a test match that had it all - excitement, action and drama. Terrific theatre that saw the welcome return of five day cricket to Auckland and Eden Park.

The first test match since the 2005/2006 cricket season drew an overall audience of 38,500 fans. The 6,500 that turned up to watch the final day drama unfold staying right to the last ball of the last over of the day!

An overall attendance of 38,500 is believed to be the highest game attendance in twenty plus years of Test Match cricket in New Zealand.

The crowds contributed to a vibrant atmosphere across the five days with the Barmy Army kicking things off, but by the final day they had solid competition from the locals as well.

The match proved that test cricket is well suited to the main oval at Eden Park and hopefully means it will become a regular fixture on the cricket calendar in Auckland for years to come.

Auckland Cricket CEO Mark Cameron was thrilled with how the test match played out.

“Obviously we’d have loved a win, but from every other aspect we were delighted. Eden Park is a fantastic place to play and watch test match cricket. Whilst it may not have the village green attributes of other venues, I think the crowd really enjoyed the environment and the facilities across the five days.”

"We’d like to thank New Zealand Cricket for giving us the opportunity to host the test match and show what Auckland could do."
I believe the public showed that they want test cricket back and it was fantastic to see the return of some of the old Test Match traditions like fans being able to inspect the pitch at the lunch break – those are the kinds of things that support the special atmosphere and uniqueness of test match cricket.”

ENDS

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