MCG to host a night match between Australia and England to mark 150 years of test cricket

The 150th anniversary test between Australia and England will be held under lights at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from March 11-15, 2027.

Cricket Australia announced Tuesday that the historic match will be the first day-night men's test at the MCG.

The famous stadium on the edge of downtown Melbourne hosted the first cricket test in 1877 and the centenary test between Australia and England in 1977. Australia won by a 45-run margin in both of those matches.

"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," Cricket Australia chief executive Todd 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' 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."

Australia is hosting the 2025-26 Ashes series against England starting in November.

The Australian men’s team, coming off a semifinal run at the Champions Trophy, is set to defend its World Test Championship title in a final against South Africa in England in June.

Australia has won 12 of the 13 day-night test matches - which are played with a pink ball and have day and night sessions daily - it has contested at home since introducing the concept in 2015. Eight of those tests have been in Adelaide, and none has started later than Jan. 25.