Test cricket’s historic 150th birthday bash grants Warnie’s wish

Test cricket’s 150th birthday will be celebrated in style, with Australia and England set to meet under lights at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

A night Test at the MCG was a dream long-held by the late Test legend Shane Warne*, who

lobbied for the Boxing Day Test to be a day-night affair. Now the countdown is on to the 150th Anniversary Test, which will start two years from Tuesday, running March 11 to March 15, 2027 as a landmark* day-night showpiece.

The match will be the first time ever that men’s Test cricket is played under lights at the MCG, following the Women’s Ashes Test held at the iconic* venue in January.

The MCG was the location of the first Test in 1877 and Centenary* Test in 1977 – both of which Australia won by 45 runs.

Todd Greenberg from Cricket Australia said the upcoming Ashes series would only whet* the appetite for the anniversary event in two years.

“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,” Mr Greenberg said.

“It will also help ensure more people are able to attend and watch what will be a fantastic occasion.

“The Centenary Test created many iconic performances, including David Hookes’s 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.”

Warne, who was honoured after his death with the ground’s Southern Stand renamed the Shane Warne Stand, made an annual call for the Boxing Day Test to be played as a pink ball* affair.

“It’s easy to say, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. But everything evolves for the better,” Warnie wrote in one of his Herald Sun columns.

“I’m all for tradition, I love tradition, but we know that, regardless of the surface in a pink ball Test, once the game gets to twilight, then night time, the ball reacts. That’s why Melbourne would be perfect for a day/night Test.”

Now the great spin bowler’s wish has been granted.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• lobbied: argued, fought or advocated for something or someone
• landmark: an event that marks an important turning point
• iconic: very famous or popular, especially being considered to represent particular opinions or a particular time
• centenary: the 100-year anniversary of something
• whet: sharpen or increase someone’s interest in and wish for something
• heritage: the history, traditions, practices that exist from the past and continue to be important
• momentous: having great or lasting importance
• pink ball: replaces the traditional red ball because pink is easier to see under lights during play at night

EXTRA READING

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QUICK QUIZ

1. How old will Test cricket turn in 2027?
2. Who lobbied for the Boxing Day Test to become a day-night event?
3. When was the first Test played at the iconic MCG?
4. Which Test was played there in 1977, which country won and by how many runs?
5. Who batted at the MCG with a broken jaw?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Design a card
Design a special birthday card for Test cricket’s 150th birthday. The only rule is that you cannot use the words “Happy Birthday”.

Time: allow at least 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Visual Communication Design

2. Extension
Cricket is not a popular sport in some countries, like the US. Create a storyboard or a script for a TV ad or online ad. The purpose of this ad is to encourage US sports fans to become cricket fans.

Time: allow at least 40 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Health and Physical Education

VCOP ACTIVITY
Read with Kung Fu punctuation
Pair up with the article between you and stand up to make it easy to demonstrate your Kung Fu punctuation.

Practise reading one sentence at a time. Now read it again, while acting out the punctuation as you read.

Read and act three sentences before swapping with your partner.

Take two turns each.

Now ask your partner to read a sentence out loud while you try and act out the punctuation. Can you keep up? Swap over?

Try acting out two sentences – are you laughing yet?