Fans show their support for Jane McGrath Day as Sydney and the SCG turns pink

Day Three of the SCG Test is a about so much more than cricket as people unite to celebrate the legacy of Jane McGrath and raise funds to support those battling breast cancer.

• LIVE: Follow all the action from Day Three at the SCG
• CHAOS: Aussie bowlers sprayed by coach after Day Two

A scorching sun turned their skin as pink as their clothes, but the 40C heat couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of cricket fans at yesterday’s 11th Sydney Pink Test.

In typical Aussie fashion, lovers of the national sport dug deep for the McGrath Foundation, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay for specialist nurses to help women battling breast cancer.

Richard Collins and Gurnam Singh pose for a photograph ahead of play on Jane McGrath Day at the SCG. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

The heat didn’t stop the Underwood family from making their annual trek to the SCG from Woodbine in Sydney’s southwest, but after five hours in the sun, dad Greg was hosing down his kids with a water bottle and wondering whether they had made the right choice.

“We come every year and every year it’s hot, but this year it’s just that bit hotter,” Mr Underwood said. “The heat didn’t stop us coming, but after a day in the sun it’s starting to bother us a bit.”

The Underwoods prefer to sit in the Victor Trumper stand with the “good Aussie larrikins having a fun time”.

Zac McKenzie and Andrew McDermott pose for a photograph ahead of play at the SCG. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

But police didn’t see the funny side of the estimated 400 empty beer cups formed into a snake spanning the width of Bay 17 at 2.45pm. When his friends Anthony and Austin were escorted from the ground for their part in creating the snake, Ben Marr, 21, from Sydney’s northern beaches, protested they were just misunderstood environmentalists who only wanted to recycle the plastic.

A few rows back Brad McGrath, 28, from Camden, stripped down to his pink budgie smugglers to the cheers of the crowd — and the rest of his buck’s party.

“We went to bed at 4.30am last night and arrived at 10.30am in time for the first ball today,” Mr McGrath said.

Jane McGrath Day, held each year in memory of the late wife of fast bowler Glenn McGrath, who died of breast cancer, has become a firm favourite of the Sydney crowd, and all but a handful of the 36,123 fans who showed up at the SCG were kitted out in pink — from punters to police and even Prime Minister Scott Morisson.

Cronulla girls Kate Wickham and Kate Houston, both 25, had never seen the long form of the game live until they were inspired to visit the Pink Test.

“I absolutely love how good the vibe is and it’s even better knowing we’re here supporting such a good cause,” Ms Wickham said.

A McGrath Foundation banner is displayed in front of the members pavilion ahead of play on day three of the SCG Test. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Glenn McGrath receives the baggy pink caps from Tim Paine and the Australian team on Jane McGrath day at the SCG. Picture: Phil Hillyard

By mid-afternoon cricketing fans had donated $746,000, taking the combined amount raised for the Sydney Pink Test to $1,156,000 — or more than half of the $2.1 million target the McGrath Foundation hoped to raise by stumps on day five. The target would fund 15 breast care nurses for a year.

A cool southerly change finally brought relief about 12.30pm, causing the temperature to drop 14C.

Not far behind were thunderstorms, which saw the lights turned on by 4pm, and groundsmen eventually halted play by rushing out the covers at 4.27pm as thunder rumbled.

Dhinesh Raj and Vinoth Padmanaban pose for a photograph ahead of play on Jane McGrath Day at the SCG. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

(L-R) Michael Baskin, Michael Walpole, Richard Collins and Matthew Knapman look pretty in pink on day three of the Fourth Test match between Australia and India at the SCG. Picture: AAP Image

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