The lights were turned on in Hagley Park as revised dates for the 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup were confirmed

The eyes of the cricket world will be on Christchurch’s Hagley Oval in 2022.

Hagley’s six 49-meter lighting towers were first lit Tuesday by Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson and the venue will be heavily involved in the 2022 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.

The tournament schedule was also released on Tuesday after the original 2021 event was forced to delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The tournament was postponed from its original window in February-March 2021 with the same six host cities and venues held for 2022.

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* The Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand postponed until 2022
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As with the event planned for 2021, Hagley will once again host the final under the lights on April 3, 2022.

It will be the second time that Canterbury has hosted the final of the tournament.

Bert Sutcliffe Oval at Lincoln hosted the thrilling 2000 World Cup final between the White Ferns and Australia, which New Zealand won by four races.

Hagley and Wellington’s Basin Reserve will host the semi-finals. Seddon Park in Hamilton and the Bay Oval in Tauranga were originally scheduled to host the semi-finals in 2021.

Bay Oval will continue to host the opening game of the tournament, with the White Ferns facing a qualifier yet to be confirmed on March 4, 2022.

New Zealand, Australia, England, South Africa and India have already qualified for the World Cup.

The remaining three teams will exit the ICC qualifying tournament which will take place from June 26 to July 10, 2021 in Sri Lanka.

The team round of 16 World Cup format will see all teams play against each other, with the top four qualifying for the semi-finals.

White Ferns veteran and Cantabrian born and raised Amy Satterthwaite said it would be exciting to play the World Cup matches in Hagley under the lights.

New Zealand is also scheduled to face a qualifier at the venue on March 26, 2022.

“It’s great to see the Hagley Oval lights up and running. Playing a World Cup on our own ground here in Christchurch, under the lights, would be a real highlight in our career.

“It was difficult to watch the T20 Women’s Cricket World Cup from the sidelines in March (after giving birth in January), so watching the match schedule locked up for the ODI World Cup here in 2022 gives me and the rest of the team a goal to strive for as we prepare for the next 16 months. “

The White Ferns underperformed at the last 50-year-old Women’s World Cup in 2017 in England, finishing fifth after the group stage and failing to advance to the semi-finals.

England beat India in the final by nine races with the medium-paced Anya Shrubsole starring across six wickets.

The 2022 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup will be the first of two major cricket tournaments worldwide in 2022; the other will be the Commonwealth Games in England.

The prize money for the women’s international cricket masterpiece will total NZD $ 5.5 million and all matches will be broadcast live to a large global audience.

ICC Executive Director Manu Sawhney said: “ICC has a long-term commitment to elevating women’s cricket as part of our strategy to grow and develop the global game.

“We want to build a sustainable foundation for women’s cricket. It’s about creating a product that fans want to see, that kids want to adopt, that sponsors and broadcasters want to be a part of. “

TAKE A LOOK:

ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022:

• Hosted in New Zealand from March 4, 2022 to April 3, 2022.
• Eight nations.
• 31 games.
• Six host cities: Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin.