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Big Bash heads to the centre of Australia

Alice Springs to play host for BBL and WBBL cricket this summer

The Big Bash has a new venue with Traeger Park in Alice Springs to play host to BBL and WBBL matches for the first time this summer.

The Adelaide Strikers today announced a two-year deal with the Northern Territory Government that will see the Strikers take on the Perth Scorchers in the KFC BBL|07 on January 13, while the two clubs will also meet in a pair of Rebel WBBL|03 matches on the same weekend.

The move to central Australia comes on the back of the expansion to the BBL season that will see an additional eight matches played - up to 43 - compared with last season.

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UTAS Stadium in Launceston and Kardinia Park in Geelong have already been announced as new venues for the upcoming season, while the Sydney Thunder are still to announce a home for the fifth and final home game of their BBL regular season campaign.

Adelaide's BBL coach Jason Gillespie has welcomed the opportunity to take the Big Bash action to the cricket community in the NT.

"We're all about growing the game and we need to bring it to the public as much as we can," Gillespie said.

"We see it as our responsibility and duty to get it out there to these places and we're absolutely buzzing about the opportunity and hopefully getting some fans to travel and support us in Alice Springs.

"It'll be a wonderful atmosphere and experience in the red centre of Australia and we're very excited."

The arrival of Big Bash action over the next two years in Alice Springs continues the Northern Territory's rise as a key component of elite cricket in Australia.

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Traeger Park hosted the Sheffield Shield final earlier this year as the Commonwealth Bank Bushrangers made it a hat-trick of titles, while the Australian Men's Cricket Team recently held an intensive training camp to prepare for the two-Test tour of Bangladesh that was ultimately split 1-1.

"It's a significant opportunity for the NT to host a game of this magnitude," said NT Cricket CEO Troy Watson.

"Recent census results show a more than 36% increase in participation in cricket in the NT, with participation rates in remote communities at an all-time high, so hosting a game where our fans can interact and enjoy the spectacle of the BBL is an exciting opportunity for our players, clubs and fans alike."

Tickets for BBL|07 go on sale October 16 at bigbash.com.au/tickets