Colours, Dance & Glory: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Opens In Melbourne

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 was inaugurated on Thursday in front of tens of thousands of a Christchurch crowd at North Hagley Park. The opening ceremony was a community-focused event with lots of colours and a spectacular display of fireworks.

The opening ceremony was attended by several cricketers, both past and present. The carnival atmosphere was enjoyed by thousands of families. The event was made free for public viewing. There were four theme based children’s cricket matches to begin the ceremony. Separate matches were played at corners with Victorian, South Asian, Kiwiana and Caribbean themes. The scene was overlooked by a painting of British cricketing legend WG Grace.

ESPNcricinfo reports that the ceremony was designed with dance performances of various genres. While Sri Lankan group performed a Kandyan dance, it was followed by a Bollywood-style performance. There was an Irish river dance as well as a bagpiper performance. Various popular musical acts from New Zealand, such as Hayley Westenra and Shapeshifter, were also a part of the opening ceremony.

Former cricket stars like Geoff Allott, Rod Latham and Chris Harris introduced the six cricketing venues in New Zealand to be used for matches in the World Cup. Stephen Fleming and Richard Hadlee also appeared. New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum was a part of an act about a young boy’s dream of becoming a cricketer. New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, Sri Lankan bowler Lasith Malinga and Lord of The Rings director Peter Jackson also took part in the ceremony.

It was Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards who unveiled the world cup and wished for the “best team” to win the tournament. "Australia and New Zealand are keen on-field cricket rivals, but there has been a strong trans-Tasman spirit in their joint venture helping to organise this Cricket World Cup over the last 10 years," he said.

According to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, Melbourne was “honoured” to host the opening ceremony. He talked about Australia’s first World Cup match against England that would also be played at the same venue. "This is going to be a fantastic event where we'll see fierce competition and great sportsmanship - after all, that's what the great game of cricket is all about," Andrews said.

Related: Nine Players To Watch At ICC Cricket World Cup

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@IBTimes.com.au