Countdown to the World Women’s Cricket Championships

Covid-19 may have delayed the Women’s Cricket World Cup, but it has been a blessing for the organizers as tickets go on sale on Wednesday.

Six cities in New Zealand will host 31 games during the month-long tournament, with white ferns playing in the opening match at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui on March 3rd.

Andrea Nelson, CEO of the Cricket World Cup, hopes the Kiwis will fill the stadiums and lawns.

Ticket prices start at $ 7 for children, $ 17 for adults and $ 45 for family in all tournament games, including the semi-finals and finals. The semi-finals are at Wellington Pool Preserve and Christchurch’s Hagley Oval, and the final is hosted by Hagley Oval.

When we set pricing, we didn’t want price to be an obstacle. It’s important to give value to women’s sports, but it’s really important that it’s an affordable experience, she said.

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Planning a global event during a pandemic has posed several challenges for World Cup organizers, he said. It’s about flexibility and that you have to roll with the beats.

We have had the unwavering support of the International Cricket Council, the New Zealand Government and New Zealand Cricket, he said.

Once part of the country is closed, restrictions on the number of crowds still exist. Nelson said tournament leaders receive health advice from authorities about restrictions, but he said there is a lot going on in the tournament.

It was an outdoor event, with these lovely lawn banks. The prime minister has given a strong signal that we have a summer of events … so we look forward to taking our place in it, he said.

Covid-19 delayed the tournament by a year, and while it was a long journey, its organizers were able to keep in touch with the wider community to ensure that the tournament’s legacy is preserved long after the last ball was thrown.

We have been able to do more. We had our training program, we go to Kura Kauppa, we talk to more people and we participate more widely, so the benefits in the long run grew massively, he said.

Eight teams will participate in the tournament, and securing MIQ seats for international teams and officials has also been a challenge. The first reserved MIQ seats have been approved, he said.

It’s a really good signal of support for this event, but it’s not an easy task, he said.

In the end, this is the first of three major women’s World Cups [cricket, rugby and football] happening here … not just economic benefits, but social benefits for people all over New Zealand are really significant to this event.

We know that our friends in both the ICC and the NZ government are committed to doing this.

The delay in the tournament has also given time to upgrade the locker rooms and Hagley Oval lights in key areas, Nelson said.

We believe that this event will leave a legacy inspired by women’s sports for young girls and boys, but also a physical legacy that people can enjoy in New Zealand for future generations. We’re pretty worried about that, he said.

And for those who think women’s cricket is not cricket, Nelson has something to say.

[Womens cricket] is exciting. Its cricket at its best. One unique thing about women in cricket is that you have these game changers like Sophie Devine or Meg Lanning, they can come to the match and turn it on their head, she said.

The greatest legacy we can leave out of this event is to show the world our support for women’s sport. Packing stadiums for this event is not only a fantastic experience, but also part of a big show to support women’s sports.

ICC Event Manager Chris Tetley said he expects fans to make the most of the opportunity.

The ICC Womens Cricket World Cup promises to be a fantastic event where the world’s best players arrive in New Zealand to compete for the final prize in more than 50 crickets, he said.

We look forward to cricket enthusiasts in some of the most picturesque areas of the world enjoying the best of our sport.

NZ White CEO David White said the ICC Womens Cricket World Cup would be a real highlight of the upcoming cricket summer.

The opportunity to host these global events doesn’t come very often, so I know cricket fans around the country are excited that they can now get tickets.