Wellington cricket fans will miss out on seeing big stars like White Ferns skipper Sophie Devine in the Women's Cricket World Cup's biggest games - because the Basin Reserve doesn't have any lights.

The country's oldest cricket ground will host pool-play matches, but has been ruled out of hosting a semifinal.

"The finals need to be under lights for the international broadcast market," International Cricket Council (ICC) Women's Cricket World Cup 2021 chief executive Andrea Nelson said.

The Basin has chased floodlighting for almost a decade, but in 2018 the Wellington City Council ditched $8million plans to pay for new lights, forking out $7.7m to strengthen the Basin's Museum Stand instead.

* Canterbury to host Women's Cricket World Cup final for second time

* Basin Reserve facelift: Grand old lady of cricket ready to reclaim the mantle of country's premier venue

* Wellington City Council flood light funding cashed in to strengthen Basin Reserve's Museum Stand

That decision made day-night tests at New Zealand's spiritual home of cricket an unlikely dream.

Wellington cricket fan Brian Steele said many cricket lovers in the capital wanted to see more games at the venue, but he understood the money may have gone towards the repair of the Museum Stand.

"I'd like to see more women's cricket, and more cricket in general at the Basin," he said. "It's disappointing, but there's reasons why it's not a simple equation."

Funds for the lighting could potentially be raised from NZ Cricket, the public, or the city council assuming any possible resident reservations could be overcome, he said.

Cricket Wellington chief executive Cam Mitchell said they were not disappointed. "We've got a number of games that we're really happy with."

Hagley Oval in Christchurch may have scored the final, but their consent process was totally different to that faced by the Basin Reserve, he said.

The Canterbury Cricket Trust (CCT) has the potential to use the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act to revise conditions which prevented permanent lights at the Hagley Oval.

Mitchell said in Wellington that consent process takes over 12 months.

"It was unrealistic in that timeframe to get lights ... there wasn't enough time," he said. "We were never bidding on getting semifinal or final games."

The Basin Reserve Trust wanted lights and was working on the application, Mitchell said.

Mitchell said the Basin Reserve would still get to play host to some of the world's best players. "We're extremely excited to be able to welcome the world to the Basin Reserve."

Basin Reserve Trust chairman Alan Isaac said the Basin was more than ready to host an international event at the level of the World Cup.

It had enjoyed "strong ongoing support" from the Wellington City Council, including the recent redevelopment of the Museum Stand, he said.

The full match schedule will be announced when the event is officially launched in March.

Wellington, Auckland and Dunedin will host pool-play matches during the month-long tournament, starting in early February 2021.

All 11 appropriate venues in New Zealand were considered - including the capital's Sky Stadium.

International cricket venues in Nelson, Whangarei, Napier and Alexandra missed out.

Nelson said ICC's goal was to ensure all matches were played at "the best venues", and the Basin experience would still create a memorable experience.