Drop-in cricket plan for Aurora

Cricket Tasmania chief executive David Johnston said the home of AFL football in the state had "terrific possibilities" for the summer sport.

Venue chiefs also said they had done research into a drop- in wicket and any necessary lighting upgrades.

The move comes as part of a restructured national Twenty20 competition for 2011-12 and would see the state team return to Launceston just a year after the annual fixture at the NTCA Ground was dropped.

Provisional plans for next season's Big Bash suggest there will be eight teams playing seven games each.

"So there will be three or four home games and we are keen to see how that pans out and whether we take any away from Bellerive," Mr Johnston said.

"We want to take the team around Tasmania so it is a team for all Tasmanians."

Any venue used has to have sufficient lighting for televised evening games so the NTCA Ground, Devonport Oval and Burnie's West Park would all require upgrades.

Aurora Stadium is considered a far more realistic proposal.

"We've had preliminary discussions with Launceston City Council and will continue to do that as the Big Bash program is finalised," Mr Johnston said.

Launceston City Council general manager Robert Dobrzynski confirmed the council had expressed an interest in hosting Twenty20 matches at Aurora Stadium.

"It's a fantastic facility which we feel is under-utilised and we would like to get Twenty20 cricket in Northern Tasmania," he said.

"It would be absolutely fantastic on a balmy Friday evening to be watching a game of Twenty20 cricket in Launceston and Aurora Stadium would be the perfect venue."

He said the venue might need some lighting adjustment and revealed that staff had travelled to Geelong to examine the drop- in wicket at Skilled Stadium, which has been used for Sheffield Shield and one-day games.

"It is very much in the exploratory phase at this stage but it is all eminently do-able," Mr Dobrzynski said.

"We would have to convince the York Park Inveresk Precinct Authority committee that it has merit and then take it to the aldermen.

"But it would have to be a long-term commitment to Twenty20 cricket in Northern Tasmania for that to be a viable business proposition."

It is believed a drop-in wicket costs about $130,000 to set up and up to $10,000 to drop in and remove.

Mr Dobrzynski said it remained the council's "highest priority" to ensure the much- praised Aurora Stadium surface remained the best in the AFL. And he said no move would be at the expense of the NTCA Ground.

Mr Johnston added that Cricket Tasmania will continue to talk to the council about the NTCA Ground although "some issues need to be resolved".