Darwin is on the verge of making a comeback to the international cricket scene after a 17-year hiatus. Cricket Australia is planning to schedule two T20 international matches against South Africa in Darwin this August.
Official dates for the winter series are expected to be announced later this month. South Africa is scheduled to tour for a series that includes three T20Is and three ODIs. Current plans suggest 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 still tentative, and the matches at TIO Stadium are contingent upon finalized agreements. If confirmed, this event would be a significant boost for Darwin, which has not hosted international senior cricket since two ODIs against Bangladesh in 2008.
Local authorities are optimistic about finalizing the arrangements for these matches.
Gavin Dovey, CEO of NT Cricket, stated that since his arrival in 2023, his aim has been to bring international cricket back to the Northern Territory. He emphasized that the gap since the last international match in 2008 is too long.
Dovey highlighted the significant changes in cricket since 2008, pointing to events like the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and cricket’s return to the Olympics in Los Angeles 2028 as examples of the sport’s growing influence and scale.
These matches would also mark the first men’s T20Is ever played in the Northern Territory, despite 107 such matches already held in Australia. Since Darwin last hosted an international game, 536 men’s and women’s matches across all formats have been played in Australia at 27 different venues.
Darwin has been actively developing its winter cricket profile in recent years, notably through the Top End T20 league, which has attracted multiple Big Bash League franchises and international teams. The August window is becoming increasingly attractive for international cricket, with plans to move a two-Test series against Bangladesh to this period in 2026.
While North Queensland is expected to host at least one of those Test matches, Darwin could be considered as a venue for another. Hosting white-ball cricket in this period in future seasons could also help streamline the summer schedule and avoid conflicts with the Big Bash League.
Dovey added that the winter cricket window offers substantial benefits for both Australian cricket and the Northern Territory, and Cricket Australia is keen to utilize this. He also noted the NT Government’s recognition of the economic benefits of hosting a global sport like cricket and the inspirational impact of international cricket stars on the local community. He expressed hope that these matches will materialize and that Darwin could potentially become the starting point of the international cricket summer.
