The restructure of the Ryobi Cup has opened the way for Cricket ACT to return to the Australian one-day domestic competition.
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Cricket ACT chairman Ian McNamee has long been lobbying for a Canberra team in the Twenty20 Big Bash League to help provide a clear pathway for local cricketers to progress to the top level.
With Cricket Australia set to hold the Ryobi Cup as a block competition starting just after the AFL grand final, McNamee felt it was the perfect opportunity for a return of a Canberra team, like when the Comets played in it from 1997-2000.
Currently, the Comets play in the Futures League, a development league sitting just below first-class cricket.
‘‘We have put the view forward of us having a Ryobi Cup team, subject to a business plan, and unofficially we’ve been told there’s merit to it,’’ McNamee said.
‘‘We were kicked out [of the ODD comp] because the other states felt threatened.
‘‘We had everything going for us – top oval, top facility and they felt threatened.’’
Cricket ACT has re-positioned itself to become a more significant catchment area than just Canberra.
With the inclusion of the Riverina and NSW’s south coast, the area has a population of about one million – about twice the population of Tasmania.
Cricket Australia’s move towards an independent board means the states’ influence was diminished, making it easier for the nation’s capital to attract games.
New lights and significant work on Manuka Oval will further boost Canberra’s drawing power.
The oval will be dug up after Saturday’s AFL clash between Greater Western Sydney and the Western Bulldogs with much-needed drainage and two extra cricket pitches added to the centre square for a total of seven.
The playing surface will also be lowered, which will help to increase the ground’s capacity to about 19,000 for the Prime Minister’s XI match against England on January 14.
While the work means Canberra won’t host this year’s Chairman’s XI game, it could mean two World Cup games are played there in 2015.
NSW will still play a Sheffield Shield game in the nation’s capital after the PM’s match.
Major-sponsor CIC will continue it’s involvement with the PM’s XI, signing a three-year deal that will take their total involvement with the game to 13 years. It’s believed to be worth about $100,000 per annum.
''People see this as a social event and a lot of it would be occurring after working hours so I would so no problems at all, not only from a corporate side but a crowd side, of selling this game out again,’’ McNamee said.
Tickets for next year’s game will go on sale from July 14.
