Sydney must give up new years Test if they want South Africa day-night Test, writes Robert Craddock

A COUPLE of months ago Sydney was flat out hosting a first class game. Now they want two Tests? Robert Craddock suggests they pull the other one.

A general view of the SCG as play is abandoned due to rain on the second day of the third Test between Australia and the West Indies at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney on Monday, Jan. 4, 2016. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY, IMAGES TO BE USED FOR NEWS REPORTING PURPOSES ONLY, NO COMMERCIAL USE WHATSOEVER, NO USE IN BOOKS WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT FROM AAP

THEY’RE not bad.

A couple of months ago Sydney was flat out hosting a first class game without it being abandoned due to the shoddy state of wicket blocks. Two games were called off due to unplayable conditions.

On Monday it was announced that Sydney wants to host two Tests in one summer.

Only the SCG Trust would try that one on.

If the SCG Trust did get two Tests and they went well you wonder where this story would end.

Next thing they might want a third then — stuff it — why not the whole summer.

That’s right. Every match at the SCG.

Stuff Melbourne. Stuff Brisbane. Stuff the world.

James Pattinson claimed the only wicket on a wet Day 2 at the SCG.

Twitter went into meltdown after the Sydney announced it grand plan for world domination and for once much of the content of a Twitter thunderstorm actually had a bit of common sense about it.

No city should host two Tests when it means other cities miss out as Hobart or Canberra would in this case.

If Sydney wants to bid for a Test featuring South Africa early in the summer that’s fine.

Go for it.

But it should give up its New Years Test against Pakistan to Hobart or Canberra.

The charter of Cricket Australia is to grow the game around Australia and that means spreading the Test matches evenly around the continent.

Hobart is nursery worth nurturing.

It may not give us big crowds but it gave us David Boon, Ricky Ponting, George Bailey, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Faulkner and Cascade beer.

That’s enough reason to deserve a Test match.

Sydney — or any city — does not deserve a second Test match but the fact that it is pushing for a day-night Test is a rich endorsement of the pink ball project and a firm reminder to Brisbane to embrace the concept next summer when South Africa are touring.

Queensland officials are mulling over whether to place the venues 26-year unbeaten Brisbane run at risk by scheduling a day-night Test at which the world class South African paceman Dale Steyn might run rampant.

It is a worthwhile point but now is the time to look forward to where to the game is heading rather than where it has been.

If Brisbane does not want a pink ball Test other cities such as Sydney are ready to swoop.

Originally published as Sydney must give up new years Test if they want South Africa day-night Test, writes Robert Craddock