Australia, South Africa in day/night series

Johannesburg: Kerry Packer's long-held dream of a day/night series between world super powers Australia and South Africa for his Channel 9 station is to become a reality next year with the announcement here and in Melbourne of a series of six games.

In a multi-million rand package deal the two arch rivals, who last met at Edgbaston in Birmingham England in what was the famous tied World Cup semi-final, are scheduled to meet in South Africa in April and again in Australia in August.

Packer, whose media empire launched World Series Cricket 22 summers ago with a series of Super Tests and day/night limited overs games, had hoped that South Africa would be lured to play a series of games.

Now, as the first century of the millennium approaches the first series of games, which invades so-called "winter territory" has been announced.

The three games in South Africa, sponsored by Standard Bank are to be played on April 12 (Durban), 14 (Cape Town) and 16 (Wanderers). The three matches in Australia are, says Ali Bacher, managing director of the United Cricket Board, to be played in the new multi-purpose indoor stadium in Melbourne, the Colonial Sports centre, on August 16, 18 and 20.

The deal to hold a series of six matches this year comes in the aftermath of the tied semi-final game in which South Africa was kayoed from the event in a cruel run out of Allan Donald.

Bacher said today that the likelihood of the series becoming an annual event "looked very good" as the two countries were recognised as the world leading countries in the game and there was a public demand to stage further matches between the two countries.

The UCB executive chief said he had been approached by Malcolm Speed, his ACB counterpart, who expressed disappointment that after the excitement of the tie in Birmingham the two countries would not meet again until 2001.

"Both series will be attractive not only to people who attend them but also a global TV audience," Bacher said.

The sale of domestic and international TV rights are yet to be finalised but it is understood there will be heavy bidding for the rights. Once these have been completed the demand for further meetings between the two super powers of the game are expected to increase.

After winter sports have gate crashed the summer scene with their muddied imprint, the decision to take cricket into the winter season should be an interesting exercise.