Cricket South Africa has apologised following anger over the ticketing allocation for the England Test at Newlands next year, which left just 13 per cent of tickets available for local fans to purchase.
CSA apologise after fan backlash for New Year's Test ticket
The board put fewer than 1,600 tickets per day on sale for the Cape Town Test match between South Africa and England in January next year, with the bulk of tickets only available to those who purchase packages from third parties. Tour groups, such as the Barmy Army, were allocated 39 per cent of the tickets for the game, while 40 per cent are tied up in hospitality. After allowances for season ticket holders and those with restricted mobility, only 13 per cent were put on sale to the general public, which sold out within minutes earlier this week.
Following backlash from home fans, CSA responded in a statement on Thursday (May 22), which read: "CSA recognises that its communication around ticket availability did not provide the clarity to supporters expected and we apologise for the confusion this created."
The board also clarified that there would be a further release of general access tickets once final pitch allocation requirements have been confirmed, and that general access hospitality experiences would also be on sale once released. "These packages have been specially designed to afford fans general access to the match coupled with a hospitality experience," read the statement.
In addition, CSA emphasised that, although touring groups like the Barmy Army received an allocation of tickets, "the majority of package allocations were designed for domestic and local travellers," including the newly created SA Cricket Travel, which partners with CSA.
Newlands has a capacity in the ballpark of 25,000 and has been declared sold out for the first four days of the Test match. It has been reported that roughly 10,000 England fans are expected to travel to South Africa for the series, which will be the first Test match series England have played in South Africa in seven years.
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