James Conway
WHAT’S more Aussie than cricket on Australia Day? The Great Australia Day Cricket Carnival in Sydney Olympic Park.
The Great Australia Day Cricket Carnival will precede one of the most anticipated sporting events of the summer – Australia v Sri Lanka in Sydney’s first ever Australia Day T20 INTL under lights at Stadium Australia.
This is the perfect opportunity to spend Australia Day at Cathy Freeman Park in the precinct where Cathy herself achieved one of Australia’s greatest sporting triumphs at the 2000 Olympics.
Entry is free to the Australia Day party, bringing families together with all the colour and excitement of a BBQ, music, live entertainment, 12 food stalls, cricket nets, face painting, balloon artists, uni cyclists, giant Jenga, giant Connect 4 and a Milo kids zone.
The 26 January festivities kick-off in Cathy Freeman Park at 3pm with the world’s biggest backyard cricket game and the action continues through to the 7pm start of the T20 International.
Tickets for the Australia v Sri Lanka clash are on sale through Ticketek. Click here or call 132 849.
The chance to soak up the electric atmosphere in an Open Corporate Box is the perfect way to make this an Australia Day long weekend to remember. To book, click here or call 1300 13 40 10.
The historic match will give Sydney’s sporting public the chance to lap up their favourite summer sport on one of the most important dates on the Australian calendar.
A record-breaking crowd of 59,659 – the largest crowd to ever watch a single day’s play of international cricket in NSW – witnessed Stadium Australia’s hugely successful first KFC T20 International between Australia and India in February last year.
The figure beat an 83-year-old record of 58,446 when Australia and England played at the SCG on 15 December 1928.
The world’s most exciting T20 batsman Dave Warner will headline a galaxy of T20 master blasters as the Aussies try to stop Sri Lanka – one of the world’s best short-form teams – stealing their thunder on our national day.
With a capacity of 80,000 plus, and its famous short boundaries, Stadium Australia is the perfect setting for a T20 international that promises to be one of the highlights of the summer.
The Sri Lankan squad will include highly rated batsman Mahela Jayawardene and star bowler Rangana Herath, and the tourists are sure to have plenty of local support.
Cricket Chief Executive David Gilbert is urging all fans to make the most of this exciting opportunity to be part of an Australia Day classic.
“It is tremendous news for Sydney’s sports fans that we are able to host an International cricket match on Australia Day,” Gilbert said.
“The fact the match is played on a Saturday night as part of a long weekend, should encourage fans to enjoy a BBQ with the family during the day and then bring them to the cricket that night.
“With Australia and Sri Lanka boasting some of the best T20 players in the world, it will be a great night’s entertainment.”
