ACT government to bid for Test matches at Manuka Oval as Sheffield Shield bid ramps up

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr says his goal is to "secure the best content possible for Canberra", putting Manuka Oval in a three-city battle for Test matches.

Cricket Australia has effectively scrapped six-Test summers, which have been seen as Canberra's best chance to host a five-day fixture.

Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide are the traditional venues for a five-Test summer, leaving Hobart and Canberra to fight for the next-best games.

Canberra was bidding to host a Test last year when Western Australia closed its borders, but Cricket Australia decided to stage the day-night Ashes match in Hobart instead.

Undeterred by the traditional venue perception or ICC global calendar changes, Barr backed Manuka as a Test venue and will continue negotiations with Cricket Australia.

"Manuka Oval is able to host Test cricket, whether it's a five or six-Test summer," Barr said.

"The ACT government is in regular discussions with Cricket Australia to secure the best content possible for Canberra audiences at Manuka Oval ... It will vary depending on the touring schedule."

Canberra hosted its first Test match in 2019 and has had regular international matches at Manuka for the past decade, including the women's Ashes earlier this year.

The wait for a second men's Test, however, could stretch out until 2027 after the Future Tours Program was unveiled on Wednesday.

That's the next time Australia host a six-Test summer, with two games against Bangladesh to be played in March.

The series comes after a tour of India and has the potential to cause a scheduling conundrum given most international cricket venues are also used by the AFL.

That could open the door for Manuka to host a fixture, however a final decision is likely years away.

In the short-term, officials are focused on ensuring more elite cricket is played in Canberra to complement the international games that are awarded to the region each summer.

Cricket ACT head of cricket Stuart Karppinen pointed to Manuka Oval's recent history when expressing why the nation's best players should regularly venture to the capital.

"A big part of the success of international matches in Canberra has been the work that's been done on Manuka Oval," Karppinen said.

"The curators have done a magnificent job producing a surface that is highly regarded by players. It produces good quality cricket. That's been seen consistently through Big Bash, the Test in 2019 and the women's Ashes Test match.

"That was an enthralling high-quality game throughout and that's down to the surface the curation staff were able to produce."

The focus isn't solely on international games, Karppinen and the association's executive working towards inclusion in the Sheffield Shield and men's domestic one-day competition.

Such a shift would complete the cricketing pathway in the ACT and bring the men's structure into alignment with the women, with the Meteors already featuring in the Women's National Cricket League.

The project received a boost earlier this week when Cricket Australia released a five-year strategic plan.

The document outlines the association's goals across all levels of the sport, from community cricket to the international arena.

As part of the plan, Cricket Australia will undertake a review of domestic cricket programs within the next 12 months and begin the process of implementing the recommendations.

The addition of an ACT team to the men's competitions shapes as a potential outcome.

Such a decision will likely be met with pushback from other states, with the distribution of funding to be a key point of discussion.

If the report recommends the inclusion of the ACT into the Sheffield Shield, Karppinen is confident it would strengthen his association's cause and empower Cricket Australia to act on the review.

"The make up of domestic cricket competitions is going to be a massive part of that review," Karppinen said. "If it becomes a national initiative rather than being viewed as a parochial or local case, it adds weight.

"There has been some good commentary nationally around the need to grow our game. Having additional players playing first-class cricket and a bigger pool to strengthen the national team is a conversation that's gaining traction."

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