The ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Public Ballot opened today (Wednesday, 1 August) at 10am (BST) on Wednesday 1 August, when ticket applications were opened to all members of the public, backed by a major marketing and PR campaign, welcomingly called Are you in?.
The Public Ballot will be open until 29 August and fans will be able to apply for each of the 48 fixtures, with tickets in each price band at every game available.
Following the unprecedented demand during the Cricket Family Ballot, fans are encouraged to apply for a wide selection of matches as the 10-team round robin stage provides plenty of opportunities for fans to see their favourite team.
The campaign’s launch film stars Freddie Flintoff, a cricketer who transcends popular culture, singing and dancing to the sound of Imagine Dragon’s On top of the world, inviting the public to join sports greatest carnival. It continues the marketing approach of putting fans, influencers and celebrities at the heart of the creative, reaching both inside and outside of the game to engage new fans with cricket.
To apply for tickets in the Public Ballot, applicants must register an account via the official Cricket World Cup Ticketing website. The pre-registration phase started on 17 July.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Managing Director Steve Elworthy highlighted the importance of this milestone in the application process, and hopes it has the same success as the recent Cricket Family Ballot.
‘‘1 August is a day we’ve all been looking forward to as we welcome many potential future cricket fans to the sport. This a great chance for anybody who wants to attend the ICC Cricket World Cup and watch the most exciting and competitive cricket available, as the best teams in the world go head to head.
‘’Being the third most-watched global sporting event, we know there will be huge interest in next year’s World Cup. The Cricket Family Ballot was a recent indicator to how popular we expect this tournament to be, when over one million tickets were applied for.
‘’What’s more, with our price structure for this tournament, which we consulted on widely and used external experts, all games will be accessible for a large proportion of sports fans. Any revenue that we do make from the tournament will be invested back in the game as part of our commitment to grow cricket and engage with future generations.’’
Durham County Cricket Club Chief Executive, Tim Bostock, said: “We’re extremely excited for the opening of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 public ballot and strongly encourage cricket fans in the north east to secure their tickets for what will be a chance to witness sporting history, as the best players and teams in the world go head-to-head at the Riverside.
“We’ve got some outstanding fixtures to choose from and are delighted to be welcoming South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, New Zealand and of course England to Chester-le-Street.
“Whether you’re an avid sports fan, England cricket supporter or just looking for a great day out with the family, we hope you will join us for three memorable World Cup fixtures.
Councillor Simon Henig, Leader DCC, said: “We are extremely proud to be a host county for next year’s Cricket World Cup, with three games here in Durham,”
“Events such as this put our whole region on the sporting map.
“With the public ballot now open, we can’t wait for everyone to select the fixtures they would like to attend and start to look forward to the celebrations next summer.”
Cllr Carl Marshall, Durham County Council cabinet member for economic regeneration, said: “We are thrilled that the Emirates Riverside ground in Chester-le-Street will be hosting three games in the ICC Cricket World Cup next year.
“There is a proud cricketing tradition here in County Durham and major contests like this put our county on the sporting map. This is an opportunity to watch international players of the highest calibre, and I am sure cricket fans will not want to miss out.”
Host nation England will open the tournament at The Oval on 30 May when they take on South Africa, while reigning champions Australia start their title defence on 1 June against Afghanistan in a day/night match in Bristol. The World Cup will conclude when the final takes place at Lord’s on Sunday 14 July.
Any remaining tickets from the Public Ballot will go on general sale on a first-come, first-served basis later in 2018.
For more information about the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, please click here.