The RTA SpeedBlitz Blues will play matches at Manuka Oval, Canberra and Bankstown Oval, in the 2011-12 Sheffield Shield Season. The draw will see the team take on South Australia at Bankstown Oval in a four-day match starting on Sunday November 6, while Tasmania will be the visitors to the nation’s capital for a Ryobi Cup match (Sunday December 4), followed by a Sheffield Shield fixture (December 6-9).
irst class and One-day matches have previously been played at both venues. It will be the sixth time that New South Wales have played a First class game at Manuka Oval, with the last being the Shield fixture versus Queensland in 1998. It will be the fourth time that the State has hosted a home One-Day fixture at Manuka Oval, with the last being the match against Victoria in December 2006.
The last First class match at Bankstown Oval was the Shield fixture v Queensland in January 2005.
The RTA SpeedBlitz Blues will kick off their season with a Ryobi Cup match against South Australia at Adelaide Oval on Saturday 15 October, followed by a Sheffield Shield match against the same opponents on the following Monday (17 October).
This will be a tight turnaround for the team if they reach the final of the Champions League in India, with that match scheduled for Sunday 9 October.
