Part of Red Square is turning green tomorrow as it become a temporary cricket wicket for the Bowl a Blackcap promotion.

The public are invited to have a go at bowling out some of the national cricket team to promote the one day international being played at the Bay Oval against England on Wednesday.

There're some great prizes up for grabs and Bay of Plenty Cricket will be setting up large inflatable nets to allow members of the public, the business community and school kids to come along and have a go at 'Bowling a Blackcap”.

Downtown Tauranga spokesperson Sally Cooke says the event is a great opportunity to get up close to some sporting heroes.

'In collaboration with Tauranga City Council we are staging this event to allow avid school cricket fans and the public to come along and have some fun and mix and mingle with some of our finest cricketers.

'It's a great way to showcase the city centre and welcome the BLACKCAPS and English cricketers and fans to the city before they battle it out in the One Day International on Wednesday at Bay Oval. It's also a unique opportunity for our community to put on a great welcome for the players and fans.”

The event will be a lot of fun, says Sally.

'We will have a registration table at Red Square so anyone can come along and register to have three attempts at ‘Bowling a Blackcap'.”

Anyone who has a go will win a signed Blackcaps bat, plus there are Blackcaps training bags and shirts, and tickets to the One Day International on Wednesday as spot prizes.

There will also be 200 mini bats from New Zealand Cricket to give away to kids, or anyone who would like to use them to grab an autograph off the Blackcaps at Red Square.

The event runs between 10.30am and 12noon and all are welcome. The event is a collaborative partnership event between Tauranga City Council, New Zealand Cricket, Downtown Tauranga and Bay of Plenty Cricket.