Darwin and Cairns to host more Tests

Pleased with the response to the first international match at Darwin, Cricket Australia announced that both Darwin and Cairns would host a Test match each when Sri Lanka tour Australia for a two-Test series in June-July next season.

James Sutherland, chief executive of Cricket Australia, said: "Cricket Australia is delighted that after the hard work that has gone into preparing both venues for cricket this year, they will both host another international fixture in 2004." Sri Lanka will play the first Test at Darwin, from July 1-5, while Cairns will host the second Test, from July 9-13.

The move to play international cricket during the Australian winter was necessitated by the ICC's schedule, which requires all teams to play each other in home-and-away series twice in a ten-year period. Darwin and Cairns are hosting the two-Test series against Bangladesh this season.

Sutherland spelt out the benefits of playing in the winters: "By extending Australian cricket's traditional season into the winter months, we have the opportunity to showcase the game to more people for longer periods of time. The weather is perfect to play cricket at this time of year and we are thrilled with the response we've had from the locals to this week's Test match."

Sri Lanka toured Australia in 2002-03, but the impending World Cup in South Africa meant that they only played the triangular VB Series, instead of playing a Test series as well. According to a Cricket Australia press release, both boards had agreed to shift the Tests to July 2004.