No more queues for tickets?

Johannesburg - An innovative ticketing system will soon be rolled out for cricket fans in South Africa, Cricket SA (CSA) said on Wednesday.

CSA will be the first national sports federation in South Africa to introduce the new near-field communication (NFC) technology already in use by various sporting codes in Europe and the USA.

The technology will allow supporters to buy tickets, parking, food and beverages on their smart phone.

"We are very excited and, of course, proud to launch NFC technology in cricket," CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat said in a statement on Wednesday.

"From the extensive research we have done over the past few seasons, fans have consistently raised the stadium experience as a focal issue for them.

"With partners like Blue Label Telecoms, we can now work towards enhancing the stadium experience for fans so that they can enjoy convenience and actively support the Proteas and the franchise teams live at stadiums."

CSA will issue Love Cricket NFC cards which will bring numerous benefits to fans.

Fans will be able to buy match tickets online from anywhere at any time by using a smart phone or PC.

Blue Label's David Fraser said the introduction of the cards would be done in a phased approach.

"The solution deployed for CSA uses NFC technology which means that tickets, vouchers, coupons, value and other information can be securely exchanged between the Love Cricket NFC card and an NFC reader by simply bringing them near to each other," Fraser said.

"By linking a Love Cricket NFC card with a fan's mobile phone we bring the best of the real world and the internet world together in a form with which people are familiar."

The 12 largest stadiums are being upgraded with NFC technology --starting with ticketing and access for the 2014/2015 season.

Other benefits such as parking and in-stadium purchasing will gradually be added.