World Cup tickets sell like hot cakes

Tickets for the first Cricket World Cup pool match in Christchurch sold out yesterday in less than four hours.

Nine thousand tickets were purchased and those who missed out have had to join the online waitlist to attend the New Zealand v Sri Lanka match at Hagley Oval next February.

Cricket World Cup New Zealand spokeswoman Therese Walsh said there was a chance more tickets would be available closer to the match.

About 30 per cent of tickets had been allocated to member nations, commercial partners and organisations selling travel packages. Some could be returned for public sale.

The venue is still under development and Walsh said that until seating numbers were set in stone ticket sales would be cautious.

“We don’t want to get carried away until the development is firmed up,” she said. “We’re expecting about 20,000 seats but we could end up with less.”

Walsh added ticket sales for the eight other South Island pool matches were going well.

The news came on the back of a $5 million government funding boost for the Cricket World Cup, a large chunk of which would go to the opening ceremony in Christchurch.

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