King Charles and global cricket royalty have been invited to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first Test match in Melbourne, officials said Thursday, with ticket sales through the roof a year before a ball is bowled.<\/p>\n
Australia will play England under lights at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to celebrate the landmark from March 11-15 next year.<\/p>\n
It will commemorate the first ever Test, played between the two arch-rivals, at the same stadium in 1877.<\/p>\n
All members of the Australia and England teams that played in the 1977 Centenary Test — also at the MCG — are set to attend.<\/p>\n
The late Queen Elizabeth II was at that game and officials are hopeful King Charles will make the trip in 2027.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve extended (an invitation) through all the appropriate channels, both government here and in the UK, for the King or a subset to be here,\u201d Cricket Australia chief Todd Greenberg told the Sydney Morning Herald. \u201cThat\u2019s certainly high on our list,\u201d <\/p>\n
Cricket Australia confirmed to AFP that an invitation had been issued.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe might bring his visit slightly earlier in the Test match, as opposed to the end of day five, given modern-day Test matches may not get that far,\u201d added Greenberg.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll make sure a royal visit is there for the opening ball on day one, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
It will be the first time the MCG has hosted a men\u2019s day-night Test and more than 125,000 tickets have already been sold following a ballot, with most of the public allocation across days one-to-three gone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe knew there would be strong demand for tickets to the 150th anniversary Test but the response both locally and from overseas has been phenomenal,\u201d said Greenberg.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have some fantastic plans in place to ensure the Test and the accompanying entertainment and events will provide a fitting celebration of a very significant milestone. <\/p>\n
\u201cMost importantly, we will honour the great players who have made Test cricket such wonderful and enduring sporting theatre, and we can\u2019t wait to welcome the cricket world to Melbourne.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also invited are all living male and female International Cricket Council Hall of Fame inductees, former Test captains and a who\u2019s who of ex-Australia and England Test players.<\/p>\n
Officials are also hopeful that the priceless Ashes urn — which is kept at the Marylebone Cricket Club at Lord\u2019s in London — will make the trip.<\/p>\n
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