Tasmania left out in the Test cold but set to host one-dayer

Bellerive Oval missed out on one of next summer’s six Tests in favour of Manuka Oval hosting Sri Lanka amid Canberra’s maiden match.

For a second straight year, Tasmania was given just a single day of international cricket. But Hobart will host a 50-over game instead of another Twenty20 clash when Australia faces South Africa on November 11.

Cricket Tasmania chief executive Nick Cummins has confirmed Hobart will also not hold a Test for the following 2019-20 season, painting a bleak future for the red-ball game in the state.

“We are still working through the future tours program, but with future tours there may only be four or five Tests every year in Australia,” Cummins said on Monday.

“So it would probably be harder for Hobart to get Tests – it’s not easy going forward.”

But Cummins has vowed to fight on for the state’s traditional cricket supporters.

“Our members are still Test cricket enthusiasts – it’s probably their No.1 preferred format,” he said.

“While we are here as a cricket association, we are always going to be pushing for Test cricket every year.

“It’s clearly five days of cricket rather than one day of cricket … but we’ll continue to fight for as long as we can.”

Cricket Tasmania was prepared for the Test miss since last hosting a match in November 2016, ending in an innings defeat to Australia inside just 151 overs. 

But Cummins felt the trade-off was still a positive.

“We knew we wouldn’t get a Test because we switched with Canberra when we had South Africa a couple of years ago,” he said. “We were hoping for an ODI – our [state] market enjoys ODIs .”

The previous Test 12 months earlier, that lasted two and a half days, had one of the poorest crowds watch a West Indian capitulation.

Cummins said that proud Tasmanians need to turn up in big numbers in the future to put the international game back on the state’s map.

“Tasmanian fans came in big numbers to the T20 international last season and I would expect they will do the same [this year],” he said.

“If our fans continue to get behind it that sends a message to Australian cricket to continue for more games.”

But with Metricon Stadium also named as the latest international venue – hosting a T20 international six days after Hobart’s one-dayer – adds further pressure on the annual Australian itinerary.

Cummins was pragmatic over the venues shift.

“Obviously, Manuka will be hosting a Test, we’ve got Metricon as well on the Gold Coast, so we understand that we’re a part of a broader cricket ecosystem and we have to play our part.”

Cricket Australia had announced 24 days of home international fixtures across all three forms, including Australian women’s fixtures.

But Tasmania was again not slated for one of the Southern Stars’ six T20 internationals and one-dayers.

“Probably that’s the area we’re a little bit disappointed; we would’ve loved to have the Australian women’s team come,” Cummins said. 

“We’ve missed out the last couple of years too.

“There’s a growing women’s cricket presence.