Proteas NY Test sparks outcry over ticket sales

Cricket South Africa (CSA) is under fire from the public after tickets for the New Year’s Test between the Proteas and England at Newlands sold out almost immediately.

The official ticket launch was supposed to start at 09:30 on Monday, but when local fans logged in a few minutes early, they found that tickets for the first four days were already gone. Tickets for the fifth day were not available yet, as Tests rarely go that far.

This has caused a lot of frustration among local cricket fans, who feel they were locked out of the ticket-buying process. It seems that a big part of the stadium’s capacity was set aside for international tour operators and travelling British supporters groups, leaving very few tickets for the general public.

Proteas And England Set To Clash At Newlands

The situation got worse when hundreds of tickets appeared on secondary resale websites just minutes after the official ticket window opened, with prices much higher than before. CSA later confirmed that the first four days of the Test were sold out, thanking fans for their support and telling them to look at other tour venues for tickets.

However, the organisation has not yet fully addressed the concerns of local fans about how tickets are distributed and the balance between making money from foreign visitors and keeping local fans happy.

Key Issues Need To Be Addressed

CSA seemed to confirm the sell-out in a statement on Monday morning, which was later removed from social media. The statement said: “The iconic Newlands Cricket Ground is sold out for days one to four of the 2027 New Year’s Test. Thank you to every fan who secured their seat. There’s still time to get your tickets for all the other matches taking place across the country this coming summer.”

CSA can be found at Cricket South Africa.