Darwin Pushes for South Africa T20Is to Mark International Comeback

The Northern Territory is eagerly eyeing Australia's white-ball series against South Africa next winter as their opportunity to host international cricket for the first time in 16 years in Darwin.

Darwin hosted the last of its four ODIs in 2008. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka also played Tests in the city in 2003 and 2004.

Since then, two drop-in wickets have been installed at the ICC-accredited TIO Stadium and the Top End T20 series launched, as part of the all-year Cricket 365 branding in the Territory.

The Top End series last week brought in four Big Bash clubs, Tasmania, the ACT and teams from Pakistan and Bangladesh, with eyes to expand further in the future.

Ten past or present Test players attended, including the likes of Jhye Richardson playing for the Perth Scorchers, and Marcus Harris with the Melbourne Renegades.

But also on the horizon is international cricket, with Australia slated to host South Africa in three ODIs and three T20Is next August, and negotiations ongoing between the NT government and Cricket Australia.

"I want that content. I don't expect all of it, and I don't expect any of it, but I want some of it - and I'm going after it," NT Cricket CEO Gavin Dovey told AAP. "We are putting the foundation in place to be ready. We have the infrastructure and it has had exceptional cricket on it [with the Top End series].

"It's not the Big Bash or international cricket, but we have shown we have that calibre of players playing on these wickets. We have the venue and it is ICC-accredited - and we have the weather."

Dovey spent time holding a national team training camp in Darwin in his former life as Australia's men's team manager, before taking up the NT role last January.

He is keen to make Darwin a consistent option for international fixtures, given only the Territory and North Queensland can host winter matches in Australia and are more likely to be held in the country in 2026.

"It makes sense to get some T20s. We've never hosted a men's T20, and there has been over 100 played in Australia," Dovey said. "I'm not particularly after content every 10 years. I don't see the legacy in it. Consistent content every year or two would mean kids don't have to go a decade before they meet their BBL heroes or national heroes."

Dovey's plan for growth is two-fold, with a desire to expand the Top End series to up to 12 teams, with more Big Bash franchises and overseas sides.

Nearly 700,000 people watched this year's nine-team, 30-match tournament via YouTube, while that number sat at 10.6 million last year once overseas broadcasters were included.

Dovey is hopeful of adding teams from New Zealand and Nepal next year, along with the big lure of appealing to IPL franchises.

"It's in an August window where no one else can play. The wickets wouldn't be like ours with the weather [elsewhere]," he  said. "It's an incredible window to the subcontinent, where you can't play easily this time of year either.  The event is awesome and has a point of difference with the international teams."