DUBAI: Trans-Tasman face-off at Wellington’s iconic Basin Reserve is one of the highlights of a 31-match schedule announced at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2021 launch in New Zealand’s capital city Wellington on Tuesday.
The Basin Reserve was confirmed to host two New Zealand WHITE FERNS match-ups during the tournament, one of those being against T20 World Cup Champions and staunch rivals Australia on Saturday, 13 February.
Sports fans across all six New Zealand host cities: Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, will also get a taste of the WHITE FERNS in action as the hosts take on the rest of the world.
Highlights of the match schedule revealed Tuesday include:
Eden Park to host a bumper opening weekend featuring the WHITE FERNS on Waitangi Day, followed by defending champions England v Australia face-off the next day.
The WHITE FERNS to take on South Africa’s Proteas in one of six pool matches and a semi-final to be held in Hamilton.
Tauranga to play host to a semi-final and five pool matches. That includes three back-to-back Sunday afternoons starring a showdown with reigning champions England.
The iconic Basin Reserve to stage the highly anticipated Trans-Tasman showdown on Saturday, 13 February.
Dunedin, the home of Suzie Bates to put on a Valentine’s weekend full of top cricket featuring South Africa and England.
Christchurch to host the final on 7 March under lights at Hagley Park on the back of five pool matches.
Prize money for the showpiece of women’s international cricket will total NZD $5.5 million, and all matches will be broadcast live to a huge global audience.
ICC CEO Manu Sawhney said: “The ICC has made a long-term commitment to 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 is about building a product that fans want to watch, that kids want to take up, that sponsors and broadcasters want to be part of.
“We are extremely proud of the significant progress we have made in increasing prize money for ICC events over the last few years, with the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2021 in New Zealand having $NZD5.5 million dollars available in prize money compared to $NZD3.1m in 2017 and $NZD316,000 in 2013.”
In 2021, New Zealand will take the opportunity to own its moment in the growth of women’s sport and deliver this fantastic global event with our unique Kiwi flavour.
Fittingly, the blockbuster opening weekend of the tournament will feature the WHITE FERNS in the first match-up at Eden Park on Waitangi Day (Saturday, 6 February). Australia will then come up against reigning champions, England the next day.
With the 30-day, 31-match schedule now locked in, ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup CEO Andrea Nelson is excited to see the country get behind the event.
The tournament will bookmark the ICC’s Year of Women’s Cricket, which kicked off on International Women’s Day, 8 March, the grand finale taking place at the 7 March ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2021 final under lights at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
New Zealand, Australia, England and South Africa have already qualified for the World Cup. The remaining four teams will be established following the completion of the ICC Women’s Championship and a subsequent qualifying tournament in Sri Lanka in July.
The eight-team round robin format will see all teams play each other, with the top four teams qualifying for the semi-finals.
Tournament fixtures by venue:
Eden Park, Auckland
Saturday, 6 Feb - New Zealand v QUALIFIER
Sunday, 7 Feb – Australia v England
University Oval, Dunedin
Sunday, 7 Feb – QUALIFIER v QUALIFIER
Tuesday, 9 Feb – NZ v QUALIFIER
Saturday, 13 Feb – QUALIFIER v England
Sunday, 14 Feb – QUALIFIER v South Africa
Seddon Park, Hamilton
Monday, 8 Feb – QUALIFIER v South Africa
Wednesday, 10 Feb – England v QUALIFIER
Thursday, 11 Feb – QUALIFIER v South Africa
Saturday, 20 Feb - New Zealand v South Africa
Wednesday, 24 Feb – QUALIFIER v Australia
Friday, 26 Feb – South Africa v Australia
Thursday, 4 March – Semi-final 2 (2v3)
Bay Oval, Tauranga
Wednesday, 10 Feb – Australia v QUALIFIER
Sunday, 14 Feb – QUALIFIER v QUALIFIER
Wednesday, 17 Feb – New Zealand v QUALIFIER
Sunday, 21 Feb – England v QUALIFIER
Sunday, 28 Feb – QUALIFIER v QUALIFIER
Wednesday, 3 March - Semi-Final 1 (1v4)
Basin Reserve, Wellington
Saturday, 13 Feb – New Zealand v Australia
Tuesday, 16 Feb – Australia v QUALIFIER
Wednesday, 17 Feb – South Africa v England
Tuesday, 23 Feb – South Africa v QUALIFIER
Thursday, 25 Feb – New Zealand v QUALIFIER
Saturday, 27 Feb – QUALIFIER v QUALIFIER
Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Thursday, 18 Feb – QUALIFIER v QUALIFIER
Saturday, 20 Feb - QUALIFIER v QUALIFIER
Sunday, 21 Feb – QUALIFIER v Australia
Wednesday, 24 Feb – England v QUALIFIER
Sunday, 28 Feb – New Zealand v England
Sunday, 7 March – Final
Women’s Cricket World Cup 2021 at a glance
Hosted in New Zealand from February 6 to March 7
Eight nations
31 matches
6 host cities: Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin
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