A Boxing Day twenty20 match between Otago and Canterbury has been scheduled for the venue with the Volts playing Wellington at the ground two days later. And the Otago Sparks will play three consecutive matches at the picturesque venue in early December.
The men's twenty20 tournament was scheduled in November and December during the past two seasons and that window proved unpopular with fans.
But Otago Cricket Association chief executive Mike Coggan is confident a shift back to the traditional holiday period will lift interest in the format.
''By moving it a month and looking at games on Boxing Day, New Zealand Cricket and the major associations are just looking at ways to reinvigorate that fan engagement,'' Coggan said.
''Central Otago is where most of Christchurch and Dunedin go on holiday ... so we just think Boxing Day is an ideal day where families are looking for stuff to do. So that is one big game that we will really market.''
Cricket at Molyneux Park became one of those ''must do'' events while in Central Otago during those long hot summers in the 1980s and 1990s. It developed into quite the tradition.
The venue even had its own version of the Barmy Army with ''Brucie's Crew'' returning each year.
When Molyneux Park was removed from the domestic schedule in 2009, and again from 2011 to 2012, it appeared as if the fun might be over.
But the community rallied and the Otago Cricket Association remained committed to hosting games at the venues. While crowd numbers had dwindled over the years, the venue still attracted more spectators than could be lured through the gates of the University Oval at that time of year. And, of course, the weather is almost always perfect.
Coggan is hoping the Boxing Day game will draw a crowd of 2000-plus. However, Otago Country Cricket board member Lindsay Breen is more conservative in his estimate.
''Success to date suggests it will be less than 2000 but, if it is well marketed, and we've got the right fixture, you could get up towards 2000,'' Breen said.
''That would be great. That would be a big cricketing fixture for New Zealand these days.''
Former New Zealand and Otago left-armer Shayne
O'Connor, who is also on the board of Otago Country Cricket, is hopeful the public will turn out in big numbers.
''You always want to say it would be good to have the halcyon days back. I don't think we will get there, realistically,'' O'Connor said.
''But the difference is this is a twenty20 game and that is quite new for the community, really.
''Otago cricket have been incredibly supportive of Molyneux Park and have given us two great days. Now we just need the community to turn up and make the most of it.''
Otago gets its twenty20 campaign under way in a televised match against Auckland at Eden Park on December 4. Its first home game is against Northern Districts 10 days later at the University Oval.
The Volts then have two more televised matches, against Central Districts in Napier and Northern Districts in Mount Maunganui, before returning to the South Island to play Canterbury at Hagley Oval on December 23 and again at Molyneux Park the day after Christmas.
It hosts Wellington in Alexandra on December 28 and has one more home game, against Auckland at the University Oval on New Year's Day, before completing the round robin with a fixture against Wellington at the Basin Reserve on January 3.
A playoff game is scheduled for January 5 with the final planned for January 7. A reserve day for the final has been scheduled the following day.
Otago has just four games at home venues this season. It missed out on a fifth as there is no venue in the region which can host a match under lights.
''We would have much preferred an even five games home and away. However, the vagaries of meeting Sky TV requirements made that unworkable,'' Coggan said.
''It is the same for all teams that do not have lights.''
