HK: Cricket Sixes switch to HK Stadium (1 Jun 1996)

01 June 1996

Cricket Sixes switch to stadium

By Rob Woollard

THE Cathay Pacific/Wheelock Natwest Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes will be held at the Hong Kong Stadium this year, organisers revealed on Tuesday.

In a bold move, tournament officials have decided that for the sixes to continue to grow, a venue switch is essential.

And in a further coup, organisers revealed World Champions Sri Lanka would field a star-studded line-up to launch an assault on the sixes` crown.

The hugely successful tournament has been held at the Kowloon Cricket Club (KCC) since its inception in 1992, but officials of Cricket World International, the tournament organisers, now feel the time is ripe for a change.

``The decision to move to the stadium was carefully considered by our policy committee and after serious consideration we felt the move should be made for a number of good reasons,`` Hong Kong Cricket Association chairman Peter Slack said.

``Specifically we need to expand the event and on the back of the tremendous excitement generated by the World Cup and the huge interest in the Cricket Sixes itself, this year is probably our best chance to launch the event at the stadium,`` he said.

``It is after all, a magnificent facility, and one which is a lot of fun to be at. We will also have the opportunity of bringing in students and large groups to widen the tournament`s appeal,`` Slack added.

In the past, officials have trodden a cautious path and have been reluctant to break with a venue which has been popular for its intimate atmosphere.

Fears have been raised that the tournament will lose its character with a move to the 40,000 capacity stadium from the 5,000 capacity KCC.

But Catton said it was likely tickets would only be sold for the lower tier.

``We wouldn`t have made the decision to move lightly. We`ve got a number of ideas aimed at how we can reproduce the intimate atmosphere of the KCC.

``There will be pavilions at both ends and it`s likely that spectators will only be seated in the lower tier of the stadium,`` Catton said.

One tournament official said if the tournament did not move this year organisers would face exactly the same issues next year.

``We have to move now or else it will mean having to take the tournament there in 1997 for the first time. The tournament won`t gain anything by being held at the KCC for another year.

``We have had four solid years of success and our attitude has been if we don`t move it now when are we going to move it?`` the official told The Hongkong Standard.

The tournament dates have been shifted forward to an earlier date of 21 and 22 September.

Speculation has been rife that the tournament would be moved to a later date rather than earlier, to avoid the risk of disruption from bad weather.

However organisers were keen to secure the presence of Sri Lanka, and the World Champions were only available on the earlier date.

``Selecting the best dates for the 1996 Cricket Sixes is a critical part of our planning and we are now delighted that the new dates will provide Sixes fans with a chance to see major stars like Jayasuriya, Aravinda de Silva, Cronje and Rhodes,`` Catton said.