Six days of Major League Cricket begins Thursday in Grand Prairie and the inaugural game featuring the Texas Super Kings will be played before a full house.
DFW's Texas Super Kings host the Los Angeles Knight Riders at 7:30 p.m. at Grand Prairie Stadium, the former home of the AirHogs near Lone Star Park.
"Since we arrived in Texas, it's been incredible to see the support for the Texas Super Kings. We can't wait to get out on the field at Grand Prairie Stadium and represent the Lone Star State in front of a full house and be part of a special night for cricket in America," said Faf du Plessis, captain of the Texas Super Kings.
Both teams will feature global cricket superstars playing alongside the best domestic talent.
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"It's going to be a historic night at Grand Prairie Stadium, as the first ever Major League Cricket game unfolds in front of a packed stadium this Thursday night. I've always spoken about wanting to represent the Knight Riders wherever they play," said Sunil Narine, captain of the Los Angeles Knight Riders. "We've long talked about coming to the United States and I'm glad it's finally happening. It's great to hear that the opening game has been sold out, and we can't wait to bring our exciting brand of cricket to the cricket fans in America."
"Fans will experience an unforgettable night for cricket in America on Thursday, with a full house welcoming the world's best players to Grand Prairie Stadium for Major League Cricket's opening match," said Sameer Mehta, co-founder of Major League Cricket.
Mehta said tickets are selling fast for other matches and they expect future sellouts. Thursday's game is the first of eight to be played at the park between July 13-18.
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On Friday, MI New York takes on the San Francisco Unicorns and the Seattle Orcas will play the Washington Freedom. On Saturday the Unicorns face the Orcas and on Sunday the Super Kings return to the pitch to face the Freedom while the Knight Riders play New York. On Monday the Super Kings play New York and on Tuesday, the Knight Riders play the Unicorns.
After leaving Grand Prairie, the teams will head to Morrisville, North Carolina where they'll play seven games at Church Street Park before heading back to North Texas for the playoffs and championship at the end of the month.
"We know our teams will put on an amazing show of explosive T20 cricket for the fans - we can't wait for the action to start," Mehta said.
If the lure of a new sport in North Texas isn't enough of a draw, there will be a drone show Thursday showcasing the league's six teams at the innings break, an aerobatic aerial display from a GB1 GameBird and a post-game fireworks display.
Tickets are available at majorleaguecricket.com.
