Perth Could Become The Next Venue For Day Night Test In Australia
Sep 10, 2017 at 6:33 PM
Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland has revealed that the new Perth stadium could be in line to host a day night test match shortly.
The city currently has a new stadium which is considered to be better suitable for pink ball test cricket than the current WACA stadium. The day night test games are widely appreciated by Australian audience, and the board is keen to host more such games.
Australia first hosted New Zealand in the first ever day night test game back in 2015 at the iconic Adelaide Oval. The pink ball test at Brisbane against Pakistan had also managed to pull large crowds into the ground.
Sutherland feels the current WACA stadium lacks the architecture to host day night test games with the impact of late afternoon shadows stretching all across the field but the new stadium could be the one to host the first-day night Test in Perth.
The Ashes test against England in December would be the last game to be played in WACA Stadium before the action moves to the newly constructed stadium at Burswood.
The board are also planning to change the timings of the game to ensure that Perth day night game could be viewed across the country with Perth being on the western side of the country. CA are keen to start midday to make sure people in all large cities watch the game.
“The new Perth stadium, when it comes on board … won’t have many of the effects of shadows on the ground that you would otherwise have at the WACA,” Sutherland told cricket.com.au.
“So there is actually possibilities there of shifting that one into later evening, even just starting it an hour or two later.
“That’s a possibility, but we haven’t thought about anything different for Melbourne and Sydney.”
Day Night tests are considered as future of Test cricket, and Australia are the foremost runners in hosting the games so far. India, on the other hand, are still looking for a viable stadium to host their first ever day night test match.