Charles Darwin National Park

Aiden Markram and the Warrara Oval.

It’s deeply rewarding to see top-level international sport taken to new or seldom attended venues and Darwin has exceeded pre-tour expectations. The Esplenade, Waterfront and even Shenannigans. All of it. Even the knowledge that the city was bombed in 1942.

The security staff at the Warrara Oval, however, were stuck in the modus operandi of Lord’s stewards 20 years ago. “No” was the first response. “What’s the question” was the second. There were five in the queue to collect accreditation. The two of us at the back moved to the shade from the 32 degree heat. “Get back into line,” said the high-wizzed middle-aged woman with a pink pony-tail, without a shadow of whimsy or irony.

It’s almost two decades ago since the last men’s ODIs were played in front of crowds of around 3,500 and yet Sunday’s first T20 will enjoy a capacity crowd of 10,000, pretty impressive for a city with an official population of 147,000.

Aiden Markram, ever the diplomat, was amusingly tactful when asked by a local journalist about the conditions he was expecting at a venue which hasn’t hosted international cricket for 17 years and at which South Africa have never played.

“Yeh, I'm not too sure, to be honest, not too much data to work with… it's been quite a long time since the game has been played here, so we don't want to look too much into it. Maybe take it in our stride on game day, try to get a feel closer to the time… umm, we’re still two days out so, a bit early to make a call. We'll have a look again tomorrow and, hopefully, try start building a picture.”

Do you have a team yet, asked another journalist. Tact kicked in again:

“We’re still having conversations. It’s the coach, and then, obviously, we've also got a convener, and a selector back at home, as well. So, conversations are still on the go. And there’s tomorrow's training, as well. So, we’ll probably only have a good idea by tomorrow evening,” Markram said.

The appointment of an ‘independent’ selector has not gone down well with coach Shukri Conrad or the players. They believe their recent success has been achieved inspite of, not because of, their employers. Their insistence on the inclusion of an ‘outsider’ has been welcomed with lukewarm enthusiasm. Ice cold, maybe.

Anyway, Darwin’s eye-catching scenery and the prospect of moving on to Cairns and Mackay – the closest point of departure for the Great Barrier Reef – has not escaped Markram’s attention.

“We'll try our best to get around, it certainly makes tours a lot more enjoyable wherever you are in the world. There are some lovely options out here and, moving to Cairns and Mackay as well. I’m sure, between games, we’ll make an effort to go and do some things.”

Time for the Charles Darwin National Park tomorrow.