Photo: Cricket Australia, Twitter.
By SAT Sports Desk
MELBOURNE, 26 December: With the Sun shining over the MCG 80,473 supporters today attended Day 1 of the Domain Boxing Day Test between Australia and New Zealand – the largest ever crowd for a day of Test cricket between the two nations.
“Today’s attendance at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was the second-largest Day 1 crowd at a Boxing Day Test for a non-Ashes fixture – behind only the 85,661 who turned out to watch Australia play the West Indies in 1975-76. Overall, it’s the sixth highest Day 1 Boxing Day Test crowd at the MCG including Ashes Tests, says a Cricket Australia media release.
Cricket Australia CEO Kevin Roberts said the huge crowd at the MCG spoke to the popularity and vibrancy of Test cricket in both Australia and New Zealand.
“Thanks so much to the Australian and New Zealand fans who made history at the MCG today,” Roberts said.
“The atmosphere was brilliant from ball one and reflective of the great rivalry between our two nations on the field, and the close relationship we have off it.
“We can’t wait to be back at the MCG on March 8 next year, as we seek to eclipse today’s crowd at the Final of the ICC T20 World Cup Australia 2020 on International Women’s Day.”
The previous Day 1 record for an Australia-New Zealand Test at the MCG was 51,087 in 1987/88.
