A ticketing row is raging over England’s new year’s Test match against South Africa in Cape Town, with local fans claiming they have been left behind.
The festive fixture at the picturesque Newlands ground, set against the backdrop of Table Mountain, is one of the most popular dates in the cricket calendar but unrest is brewing after the general sale turned into an instant sell-out on Monday.
Tickets for the third Test at the 25,000 capacity stadium were due to go live at 9.30am local time but many prospective buyers took to social media to complain there was no availability for days one to four within seconds.
Many of the messages directed at Cricket South Africa suggested English fans had been prioritised, via increased allocations deals with UK-based travel companies, but secondary retail sites were soon advertising vastly inflated tickets for the match.
Those with knowledge of the situation believe CSA, which has teamed with Tourvest to sell through the SA Cricket Travel platform, vastly underestimated demand and had their platform flooded by ticket-sweeping bots.
Disappointed fans are unlikely to be settled by a tagline on the purchase portal, which reads: “SA Cricket Travel takes cricket fans to the heart of the game, to feel the passion and spirit of the game we love, creating once in a lifetime Proteas Cricket experiences that will connect you to the heart of the game and more.” CSA has been contacted for comment.
English travel group the Barmy Army, which is offering various escorted packages beginning at £1,719, insists it bears no responsibility over the episode after being cited in several angry posts.
Managing director Chris Millard told the Press Association: “We completely understand the frustration from supporters – both in England and South Africa – who were unable to secure tickets in the general sale, as demand for this tour is understandably extremely high.
“As an official tour operator, the Barmy Army receives a small, pre-agreed ticket allocation directly from Cricket South Africa many months in advance. This allocation is entirely separate from the public ticket release process and does not reduce the number of tickets made available through general sale. We do not purchase tickets from public sale.
“A number of other official tour operators receive similar allocations as part of the same process for major overseas tours. The Barmy Army has no involvement in how overseas cricket boards manage public ticket sales, pricing structures or resale activity. Over the years, we have done our utmost to lobby and work with cricket boards to find the best possible solution for cricket fans.”
