The match day has been dubbed ‘Light up the Oval’, and has support from the Ara Institute and ChristchurchNZ. Fans at the oval will get to see the lights switched on before the Canterbury Kings and Central Districts Stags take to the field at 7pm for their Super Smash T20 match.
Canterbury Cricket chief executive Jez Curwin said a similar event last summer called ‘Own the Oval’ was a resounding success with more than 2800 heading to the ground to watch Canterbury take on Wellington - the second largest attendance for a domestic cricket match at Hagley Oval.
It has been nearly 10 years since Christchurch last hosted a match under permanent lights when the Back Caps hosted Pakistan at AMI Stadium in a day/night ODI.
Less than a month later, the quake struck and the stadium was damaged beyond repair.
Curwin said January 10 will be a historic day for cricket in Canterbury.
"A lot of hard work has been put in to get to this stage, in particular the hours of dedication by the Canterbury Cricket Trust.
"It’s been a long road, so it will be pretty special when the floodlights get turned on for the first time.
"It’s an amazing opportunity for Canterbury sporting fans to be a part of history.
"A special thanks must go to our Ara Institute and ChristchurchNZ for making this event happen.”
There will be two matches to enjoy with the Magicians taking on the Hinds at 3.40pm before the Kings and Stags from 7.10pm. Tickets can be purchased here.
