It's official. Premier Peter Gutwein has announced Hobart will host the fifth Ashes cricket Test Cricket in January.
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Confirming the news on Saturday morning, Mr Gutwein said it was "a famous victory for Tasmania".
"It's one I'm personally very proud of for our state," he said. "This top-level international event will be the biggest sporting event our state has ever hosted.
"It is just fantastic for our sport-loving community and especially for our young people, many of whom will have their very first opportunity to experience such an event."
Mr Gutwein thanked Cricket Tasmania for its support with the bid and also praised bid Cricket Australia for the way it "engaged with us on this and for making the right decision in the interests of cricket and development of the game across the country"
"There is no doubt that this will help to grow the game in Tasmania and stand cricket in great stead for years to come."
Cricket Tasmania chief executive Dominic Baker said it was "a great day not just for Tasmanian cricket, but for Tasmania in general".
"This will be without a doubt the biggest sporting event Tasmania has ever hosted," Mr Baker said.
"While the circumstances that have led us to be able to have the opportunity to host this Test are undoubtedly unique, we are thrilled that Tasmanians will have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness an Ashes Test in their own backyard."
He said the work of Premier Peter Gutwein and all involved had been "nothing short of monumental".
"Our team is raring to go to deliver this match and, along with the Clarence City Council and Tasmanian Government, I'm confident it will be an event no one will ever forget."
Mr Gutwein had said he was quietly confident on Friday that the announcement was imminent.
In addition to being a boon for cricket fans, Mr Gutwein said the announcement represented "great outcome for our local economy and especially our tourism, hospitality and retail sectors".
It was a sentiment echoed by The Tourism Industry Council Tasmania, with chief executive Luke Martin describing the Test as a five-day advertisement for Tasmania.
"A global cricketing audience of 1 billion eyeballs closely follow the Ashes series and Tasmania in January will be hosting arguably the single biggest sporting event being held anywhere on the planet over those few days," Mr Martin said.
"This is a once in a generation opportunity that we must fully embrace."
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