Cricket Australia (CA) has announced that three Sheffield Shield matches will be played under lights during the 2024 season, aiming to give domestic players more exposure to day-night conditions as pink-ball Test matches become a fixture in the Australian cricket summer.
The decision is part of CA’s strategy to ensure that domestic players are well-prepared for the unique challenges posed by pink-ball cricket, with at least one home day-night Test now expected each summer.
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Venues and Schedule for Pink-Ball Matches
The pink-ball Shield games will be held at iconic Australian Test venues that have hosted previous day-night Tests. The scheduled matches are set for Adelaide Oval, the Gabba, and Bellerive Oval. Adelaide and the Gabba have regularly hosted day-night Tests in recent years, making them ideal venues to simulate the conditions.
The matches are slated for November 23 and 24, with South Australia facing Western Australia at Adelaide Oval and Queensland playing Victoria at the Gabba. Tasmania will play New South Wales under lights at Bellerive Oval starting March 15, 2025, in the later part of the Shield season.
Unfortunately, none of Australia’s current Test players will feature in the November fixtures due to their involvement in the first Test against India in Perth. However, players such as Michael Neser and Scott Boland, both experienced in pink-ball Tests, could potentially feature in the domestic games. Nathan Lyon, Australia’s premier spinner, might be available for Tasmania’s match in March, depending on his workload from the five-Test series against India and the two-Test tour of Sri Lanka.
Enhancing Players’ Experience with Day-Night Cricket
Ben Oliver, CA’s head of national teams, explained the importance of preparing the next generation of international players for the demands of Test cricket, particularly under lights.
“Playing first-class matches at Test venues is important, and so too is exposure to day-night conditions, which have become a feature of the Australian Test summer over the past decade,” Oliver stated. He also emphasized the value of reintroducing day-night Shield matches, which had been a regular feature between 2013-14 and 2017-18 but were later restricted to Australia A, Prime Minister’s XI, and CA XI matches against touring teams.
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