The first ball of the biggest international sporting event to be played in Tauranga will be bowled today.
The Bay Oval will host eight of the best cricketing nations across seven matches over the next two weeks of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup.
Stands cannot be full because of Covid-19, but an audience of more than 180 million viewers is expected to tune in.
Tauranga won the bid to be one of the host cities three years ago. The original tournament date in March last year was postponed because of Covid-19.
New Zealand will take on the West Indies in the sold-out opening match in the 12th edition of the Women's Cricket World Cup.
Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Pakistan and South Africa will also play in the tournament.
The White Ferns won the title the last time the world cup was held in New Zealand in 2000. England is set to defend its 2017 win.
Bay Oval manager Kelvin Jones said it was a "fantastic honour" to hold the opening game of the biggest ICC event the oval has ever hosted.
"It's a world cup, it's a big deal."
The grounds had hosted world cup qualifying events and the Under-19 world cup final.
"You only need to see the set-up at the oval to see the time, money and effort that's gone into all aspects of the tournament."
He said it has been a "long and winding path" to this point after Covid forced the event's postponement.
The capacity for the games in the red setting of the Covid framework meant the venue - able to hold 10,000 people - could only sell 1000 tickets, with all sold for the first game.
Jones believed many more would have been sold if there were no restrictions.
He hoped bringing the female heroes of the sport to the region would lift interest in cricket among local women and girls.
Tauranga's Ava Kingbury, 13, is a right-hand bowler with Pāpāmoa Pink Zincs and has played cricket for the past two years.
Kingbury was excited to have a good chunk of the tournament in Tauranga and will be at the first game today with seven of her teammates, with her money on the White Ferns.
A former coach had organised for the girls to be on the field during the national anthem and have a training session at halftime.
Kingbury didn't have a favourite player, but said it was great to have the world cup come to the city as it wasn't something that happened every day.
The profile of women's cricket has grown rapidly in recent years, with women first playing internationally 87 years ago, the ICC reported.
This was evident in the 86,174 people packed into the Melbourne Cricket Ground to watch the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup Final.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2022 chief executive Andrea Nelson said there has been a "complete change" in women's cricket in New Zealand since she started working on the tournament in 2019.
She said New Zealand was the opening act of what would be a "game-changing year" for women's sport in the country.
"The world cup is a massive step for our sport globally," she said, with teams playing at the best grounds and for a global audience.
She said equality was achieved through exposure, which needed investment.
She felt "privileged" to be working with ICC, which doubled the prize money for the cup and gave the women "the best possible platform" to perform.
"Through that investment, you will get that change. Over time the sport will become self-sustaining and continue to grow."
Nelson's background is in international sports events, working at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, FIFA Under20 tournament in New Zealand and the recent Rugby League World Cup.
Tauranga City Council venues and events manager Nelita Byrne said it had been a city-wide effort to get ready for the "prestigious" tournament.
Byrne said it was the biggest international sporting event ever held in Tauranga, with only 11 sporting events of this calibre ever hosted in New Zealand.
She said it would give the community a world-class cricket experience, inspire the next generation, and showcase Tauranga to the world.
Blake Park and Bay Oval sit within the traditional tribal lands of the people of Whareroa marae and the primary hapū are Ngāi Tukairangi and Ngāti Kuku of Ngāi Te Rangi.
The tournament received support from mana whenua, who had given their time and cultural guidance throughout the event planning, she said. They will also lead the cultural proceedings at the opening match.
• March 4: New Zealand v West Indies
• March 6: Pakistan v India
• March 8: Australia v Pakistan
• March 11: Pakistan v South Africa
• March 14: South Africa v England
• March 16: England v India
• March 18: Bangladesh v West Indies