The WACA Ground will get one final Ashes hurrah after the new $1.2 billion Perth Stadium lost its race to be ready in time to host WA’s showpiece Test this summer.
Cricket Australia was hopeful that the new 60,000-seat venue at Burswood would be completed ahead of time to host Australia’s third Test against England, starting on December 14.
But the WA State Government confirmed on Wednesday that the Test would have to be played at the WACA Ground.
The Perth Scorchers’ BBL and WBBL fixtures will also have to be played at the WACA this summer.
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said he was disappointed when informed of the news about the Ashes Test.
But he’s been told there’s a strong chance the one-day international between Australia and England on January 28 will be played at the Perth Stadium.
As it stands, an Ed Sheeran concert on March 3 is the first official event listed for the stadium.
The venue will also host AFL matches from next season.
All blockbuster Tests and ODIs will be shifted to the new Perth Stadium once it’s completed, with BBL fixtures also to be played there.
The WACA plans to turn itself into a boutique venue that will host smaller-drawing fixtures, as well as domestic cricket and possibly WAFL football.
The WACA Ground is steeped in cricket history, with England and Australia facing off in the first Test there in 1970.
Overall, 43 Tests have been played at the WACA Ground, with England featuring in 13 of them.
Australia have won nine and drawn three of their 13 Tests against England at the WACA Ground.
England’s only Test win there came in 1978.
The iconic pace and bounce of the WACA pitch has faded somewhat in recent years.
But the ground is still highly revered by players around the world.
AUSTRALIA v ENGLAND TEST MATCHES AT THE WACA GROUND
1970 – Draw
1974 – Australia won by 9 wickets
1978 – England won by 166 runs
1979 – Australia won by 138 runs
1982 – Draw
1986 – Draw
1991 – Australia won by 9 wickets
1995 – Australia won by 329 runs
1998 – Australia won by 7 wickets
2002 – Australia won by an innings and 48 runs
2006 – Australia won by 206 runs
2010 – Australia won by 267 runs
2013 – Australia won by 150 runs
qwetzen
Guest
The WACA will be no loss. It's been living on reputation for about 40 years now and in reality some matches there should have been abandoned due to dangerous conditions. Who can forget that succinct photo of an unattended bat standing upright in a chasm? And then there's The Bogan Factor. Perth has the highest bogan quotient of any Oz city. When combined with bright sun & beer this produced an atmosphere which generated; Lillee v Miandad Lillee & aluminium bat Aldermans shoulder injury Hilditch dismissed Handled Ball Racial abuse from the crowd to RSA players So as the cliche rolls; Moving forward....
BurgyGreen
Guest
Good. The pitch against New Zealand a couple of season ago was a shocker but the one against South Africa last summer was fantastic. Hopefully we can get one more great deck, and one more brilliant Ashes game, out of it.
Raimond
Roar Guru
good
jamesb
Guest
And if the Greeks and Brazillians were in charge, the stadium would be open in 2025.
Onside
Guest
If the Chinese were in charge it would already be open.
Chui
Guest
And that's fine by me, but only if the pitch is so hard that sparks come off when the ball pitches.