Australia-England to play historic day-night match at MCG to mark 150th Test anniversary
Melbourne, March 11 (IANS/GURPUNEET SIDHU) Australia and England will play a day-night Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in March 2027 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Test cricket, the Cricket Australia announced on Tuesday.
“The 150th Anniversary Test from March 11-15, 2027, will be the first time the Australian men have played a Test under lights at the MCG, the scene of the first Test match in 1877 and the Centenary Test in 1977 – remarkably, both won by Australia by 45 runs,” it said in a statement.
It will be the first day-night men’s Test match at the MCG, which follows the historic first day-night Test at the MCG earlier this year where Australia’s women completed an Ashes clean sweep.
CA insisted staging the Test as a day-night match would allow more people to attend and watch the 150th Anniversary Test given it will be played outside the school holiday period.
“The 150th Anniversary Test at the MCG will be one of the great cricket events and playing under lights will be a fantastic way to celebrate both our game’s rich heritage and Test cricket’s modern evolution. It will also help ensure more people are able to attend and watch what will be a fantastic occasion,” CA chief executive Todd Greenberg said in a statement.
“The Centenary Test created many iconic performances including David Hookes’ five consecutive boundaries off Tony Greig, Rick McCosker batting with a broken jaw and Derek Randall’s defiant century, and I’m sure the 150th Test will create its own lifelong memories.
“This season’s Ashes Series will whet the appetite for this clash in exactly two years, and we look forward to celebrating this historic occasion further as it draws nearer. We are thankful to the Victorian Government and the Melbourne Cricket Club for their incredible support to host this momentous Test match,” he added.
The 150th Anniversary Test will be played after Australia’s five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in India that year. Following a landmark Test at the MCG, they’ll head to England for the Ashes and potentially a World Test Championship final. The year will conclude with the World Cup in South Africa.
“With the now complex international schedule, it takes significant planning and support to conduct an event such as this and we are thankful to everyone including the Melbourne Cricket Club and the Victorian Government for their enthusiasm to host this momentous Test match. The 150th Anniversary Test will be a spectacular event and one, like the 1977 Centenary Test, that will live long in the memory of those who attend,” Peter Roach, CA Head of Cricket Operations and Scheduling, said.
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