Sydney, August 18, 2024, The Europe Today: Cricket Australia (CA) has announced plans to mark the 150th anniversary of the inaugural Test match by staging a historic game between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in March 2027.
The MCG, which hosted the first-ever Test match from March 15 to 19, 1877, will once again be the venue for this milestone event. In that inaugural match, Australia secured victory by 45 runs, while England won the subsequent match at the same venue, tying the series 1-1. The centenary of this landmark game was commemorated with another Test between Australia and England at the MCG in 1977, where Australia emerged victorious by the same margin of 45 runs.
Nick Hockley, Chief Executive of Cricket Australia, expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming celebration. “The 150th anniversary Test match at the MCG in March 2027 will be a wonderful celebration of the pinnacle format of the game at one of the world’s great sporting arenas, and we can’t wait to host England on that occasion,” Hockley stated.
In addition to the anniversary Test, Cricket Australia has confirmed the continuation of traditional fixtures with the MCG hosting the Boxing Day Test and the Sydney Cricket Ground retaining the New Year’s Test through to the 2030-31 season. The Adelaide Oval will be the venue for the ‘Christmas Test’ in either a day-night or day format, while Perth’s Optus Stadium will be the venue for the ‘West Test,’ marking the opening Test for Australia in the next three years.
Notably, the upcoming men’s Ashes series in 2025-26 will begin at a venue other than the Gabba in Brisbane for the first time in over 40 years. This will also be the first Ashes Test held at Perth’s Optus Stadium.
The 2026-27 season will mark the first time in 50 years that the Gabba will not host a Test match. While the Queensland venue will host matches against India and England in the next two seasons, there is ongoing uncertainty regarding its redevelopment ahead of Brisbane’s role as a host city for the 2032 Olympics.
Perth’s Optus Stadium, which accommodates 60,000 spectators, has succeeded the WACA as Western Australia’s premier cricket venue. The stadium was scheduled to host its first Ashes Test during the 2021-22 series but was relocated to Hobart, Tasmania, due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The 150th anniversary Test match promises to be a significant event in the cricketing calendar, celebrating a rich history of Test cricket and its enduring legacy.
