Hobart is likely to land the fifth Ashes Test of the summer unless Cricket Australia makes any last-minute changes to their planning.
The concluding Test of the series, which was stripped from Perth this week due to the state's strict quarantine directions, has been of the desire to several states across the country, with New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia looking to land second Tests to their sporting calendar.
Canberra is also hopeful of securing the rights to host to the fifth Test, which is scheduled to start on January 14.
Tasmania has gained strong support to replace Perth for the Test, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison evening backing Bellerive Oval to host its first international Test match since 2016.
The island state was also set to host a one-off fixture against Afghanistan last month, with that series having since been scrapped.
Now, according to The Herald Sun, Cricket Australia are set to hand Hobart the fifth and final Test match of the Ashes series unless there is a late change of heart, having held critical talks on Wednesday night.
An official decision could be made in the coming days or as late as next week.
Should the Apple Isle land the hosting rights, it would be a major upset against the likes of the MCG, which can hold more than four times the crowd of Bellerive Oval's capacity, while the Melbourne and Sydney would also be of greater benefit to broadcasting partners.
