Ashes 2021-22: MCG in line to host a second Ashes Test as Perth hopes fade

Sport-starved Melburnians could be set for an Ashes double, with the MCG leading the race to replace Perth as the host of the fifth match of this summer’s blockbuster series.

Melbourne is a slight favourite ahead of Sydney to host a second Ashes Test after Perth, on Tuesday, was dumped in the too hard basket.

West Australian premier Mark McGowan effectively ruled out Perth’s hopes of hosting the final Ashes Test in January, when he reinforced his hardline stance on quarantine regulations and clamped down on players wives and girlfriends making the trip.

Perth’s new Optus Stadium is supposed to host the final Ashes Test from January 14, but the match now seems likely to be played in Melbourne, perhaps as a day-night fixture, or Sydney.

Canberra and Hobart have also expressed interest but remain outsiders.

Sport’s greatest rivalry is just around the corner and you can catch the Ashes live and ad-break free during play. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today.

The MCG is a chance to host a historic day-night Ashes Test. Picture: Michael Dodge

“We have put in place very strict rules,” McGowan said.

“So we’ve said to them, ‘you need to have 14 days’ quarantine’. And that has to apply to all the broadcast staff, the cricket staff.

“They can’t just bring wives and girlfriends with them - same rules as we put in place for the AFL.

“It’s up to them whether they want to adhere to those rules or not.”

The Perth Test was scheduled to be played just five days after the Sydney Test, so the two-week quarantine period effectively rules out the visit to the far west.

England’s players had spent months negotiating a deal where they would avoid hard quarantine, apart from a brief stint at the start of the tour.

The Brisbane Test against India last summer was played when the players were in quarantine but the Perth scenario was looming as a nightmare for players and broadcast staff who were under the same conditions.

Melbourne may have slightly more appeal than Sydney as an alternative because it would mean that two Tests would not be played in a row in the same city.

But NSW Minister for Toursim, Stuart Ayres said the SCG would be ready.

“We’ve said to Cricket Australia we are here to help if they need it,” Ayres said.

“I’m a traditionalist, I would love to see the test matches happen in all of their respective locations. I’d love to see Perth host a test match, that community over there has had to live behind a very closed border for a long time so they deserve to have some fantastic sporting content.

“But if the West Australian government does not want that to happen then NSW is ready to help Cricket Australia. “

The prospect of a day-night Test would also broaden the MCG appeal, although England would have to agree to the conditions.

Warne: Why MCG deserves bonus Ashes Test

- Sam Landsberger

Shane Warne has called on Cricket Australia to deliver the MCG a bonus Ashes Test in January as a gift to sport-starved Victorians who have endured the world’s longest lockdown.

The fifth and final blockbuster Test appears increasingly likely to be relocated from Perth – which pounced on this year’s AFL Grand Final – and the MCG is a hot chance to secure hosting rights.

Melburnians came out of their sixth lockdown last month after passing Buenos Aires (Argentina) as the most locked down city, spending 262 days largely confined to their homes.

A double dose of Ashes action could be headed to Melbourne.

It can be revealed that the England Cricket Board wants to come back to Melbourne to finish the series under lights in what would be a historic day-night contest at the MCG in the event that Western Australia’s hard border and strict quarantine measures costs it the marquee fixture.

The ECB has told Cricket Australia it would rather play a pink-ball contest at the MCG than head to Hobart for a match that could determine who holds on to the precious urn, which Australia has possessed since 2017-18.

Playing back-to-back matches at the SCG would also be an option although that would force curators to prepare a second Test pitch quickly.

The fourth Test is set to be played from January 5-9 at the SCG while the fifth Test is due to run from January 14-18.

Melbourne Stars are due to host Big Bash matches on January 16 and 19, which would have to find a new home in the event the fifth Test landed at the ‘G.

Warne, who celebrated the launch of News Corp’sKFC BBL SuperCoach in Melbourne on Monday with a game of backyard cricket, said the choice ewas obvious.

Warney knows how special an Ashes Test at the MCG is.

“Do you come back to Melbourne and have another Test match to give the Victorian fans something?” Warne said.

“They’ve probably had it harder than anyone else in Australia, so do you give them a bit extra to smile about for the last Test of the Ashes?

“Or do you give it to somewhere like Canberra or Hobart?

“There’s plenty of options.

“Obviously as a Victorian I’d love to see it in Melbourne at the MCG, especially with what the Victorian people have been through.

“I’d love to see two Test matches in Melbourne.”

The Demons-Bulldogs AFL grand final was in Perth this year.

Melbourne Cricket Club chief executive Stuart Fox has described the Boxing Day Test as the equivalent of two AFL Grand Finals in five days.

That means a bonus Test match would be like the famous ground hosting four Grand Finals in just 24 days, which would be a boom result after the past two Covid-impacted seasons.

Supporters of four Victorian clubs – Richmond, Geelong, Melbourne and Western Bulldogs – have been forced to watch their clubs play premiership deciders on TV in 2020-21 as football’s biggest day was transported to Brisbane and then Perth.

The Tiger Army missed out on witnessing their team become the greatest of the modern era while Demons diehards were stuck at home in lockdown as football’s longest premiership drought – dating back to 1964 – was broken in style on September 25.

While the MCG retained last year’s Boxing Day Test, it was a watered-down spectacle as crowds were capped at 30,000 and less than 90,000 attended in total.

The past four Ashes Tests at the MCG have averaged more than 250,000 in total and more than 88,000 on Boxing Day.

Social distancing was the rule at the MCG last year.

Warne has long advocated for a day-night MCG contest and said a bonus Test provided the perfect opportunity for a trial.

“It would be outstanding,” the legendary Victorian legspinner said.

“You could have the first one (Boxing Day) as normal and then try it.

“What an opportunity to try a day-night Test match with the pink ball for the second one, and last Test match for the summer.

“Imagine if it was 1-1 or 2-2 coming into the last Test match – a day-nighter, the first one at the MCG with a pink ball.

“It would be bloody exciting. Let’s hope that can happen.”

Heavyweight cities closing in on Perth Test steal

- Robert Craddock

Melbourne and Sydney have firmed in the reckoning to host a second Ashes Test this summer as Perth’s prospects continue to fade.

Despite being publicly optimistic about the chances of the fifth Ashes Test being played in Perth’s Optus Stadium there is an air of doom among senior officials about the match due to tight border restrictions.

WACA chief executive Christina Matthews rated Perth a 50-50 chance of hosting the January Test on ABC radio on Saturday — she had previously been as high as 97% — but many eastern states officials are not as positive.

Nathan Lyon celebrates a wicket during the first Test against New Zealand at Optus Stadium in Perth in 2019.

A shorter quarantine period for players in Perth may not be enough to save the Test because England said before tour they would be dead against going into hard quarantine for a second time after their initial stint on arrival in Queensland.

Significantly, if England do refuse to play in Perth, they would not be cast as the villains for even the Australian Cricketers Association has said promises made to the tourists must be met in the course of the tour.

Western Australia border restrictions have the Perth Test in serious jeopardy.

As well as the players concerns, television broadcasters also face an extremely difficult task in getting specialist staff into Perth amid the quarantine restrictions.

Hobart had put an ambitious bid in for the final Ashes Test several weeks ago with one of the factors being it was likely to be Tim Paine’s last Test before retirement.

But with that option effectively off the table after Paine stood down from the team following a sexting scandal and the Tasmanian board opening fire on Cricket Australia over how they handled the episode, there seems no chance the game will be going to Hobart.

Canberra has also been in discussions but a ground capacity of around 13,000 at Manuka Oval counts against that venue.

Melbourne or Sydney appear the standout options.

Originally published as Ashes 2021-22: MCG in line to host a second Ashes Test as Perth hopes fade