Sky Sports - England in Australia

City Guide

Hobart is the capital of the Australian island state of Tasmania and was founded in 1803 as a penal colony. It is located on the estuary of the Derwent River with the backdrop of Mount Wellington. Initially known as Hobart Town or Hobarton, it was named after Lord Hobart, the Colonial Secretary. It has become a busy seaport and is the base for Anatartic operations for both Australia and France. Hobart is the southern hemisphere base for Cadbury's chocolate, while in recent times wine has become big business in Tasmania.

Ground

The Bellerive Oval is the home of the Tasmanian Tigers state team, as well as being used for Aussie rules football. It staged a one-day international for the first time in 1988 and then hosted a Test match, when Australia took on Sri Lanka, the following year. The Fereral Government and Tasmanian Cricket Association, who moved to the Bellerive Oval from the old TCA Ground, jointly funded a major redevelopment of the ground at the start of the century, including the construction of new nets and the 6,000 seater Southern Stand. However the most popular area for the fans is the traditional hill on the east side. Floodlights were installed in 2009 to make sure the ground could stage day-night contests.

Pitch report

Tasmania won their inaugural Pura Cup in 2007 and then triumphed in the Ford Ranger Cup on home soil the following year, suggesting the Bellerive strip is normally good for batting. However the use of rye grass means that moisture has to be kept in the pitch to stop it from drying out, often giving seamers the chance to exploit conditions early on. England's second-string attack certainly enjoyed themselves on the opening day of their match against Australia 'A', bowling out their opponents for 230. However for one-day cricket, expect a flat, dry surface good for run-scoring.