House debates

Monday, 13 February 2012

Statements by Members

Twenty20 Cricket

1:46 pm

Photo of Geoff LyonsGeoff Lyons (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I rise today to mention Twenty20 cricket in Tasmania. The inaugural Twenty20 interstate competition was an outstanding success with record sell-out crowds attending matches at Blundstone Oval in Bellerive. This format of cricket has captured the imagination and interest of Tasmanians and of Australians elsewhere. It has provided an opportunity for families to enjoy this shorter version of the game. I support the endeavours of Robin McKendrick, Chairman of the York Park Inveresk Precinct Authority, in seeking to bring that form of the game to Launceston. I feel that this can be supported as we now have AFL games in the north and south of the state. I also wish to congratulate the Hobart Hurricanes for making the recent semi finals of the Twenty20 Big Bash competition. This is a further reflection of the depth of cricket within Tasmania, as witnessed by a Tasmanian, George Bailey, captaining the Australian Twenty20 side. I can recall, when Tasmania was first admitted to the Sheffield Shield competition, it was allocated only one game each year against each state. Tasmania is now the current holder of the Sheffield Shield and is the yardstick against which all other states must judge themselves.