Cricket ACT chasing Test match after Prime Minister's XI success

The fixture made its return as a four-day, pink-ball contest and received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players and officials.

While a number of international one-day and Twenty20 games have been played in Canberra in recent summers, the city has largely missed out on Test cricket.

Just one men's Test has been played at Manuka Oval, in 2019, while the Women's Ashes Test was held at the ground in January.

The release of the Future Tours Programme in August reduced the chance of red-ball cricket being played in the ACT in the coming years.

Australia will play five Tests for the next four summers and six in 2026-27. Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Adelaide shape as near certainties to host a Test each year during that span.

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The redevelopment of the Gabba for the 2032 Olympics, however, is expected to force Cricket Australia away from their traditional allocation and Cricket ACT are ready to swoop.

"The chief minister is motivated to bring content to Canberra so Canberrans can enjoy the same experiences as every other major capital city in Australia," Cricket ACT chair Greg Boorer said.

"There will be opportunities with Twenty20s and ODIs but with five-Test summers it is difficult to grab a Test from one of the big cities.

"The redevelopment of the Gabba, with that venue offline for three to four years, might open an opportunity in that space."

Boorer and ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr met with Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley last week to discuss future content deals for Canberra.

The meeting came as Manuka Oval successfully hosted the return of the Prime Minister's XI fixture in a new four-day pink-ball format.

The government recognises how competitive the landscape is for international content, with cities bidding for high profile matches.

With that in mind, Barr has made it his priority to attract as many women's games as possible to Canberra.

"Cricket Australia scheduling processes are ongoing and all parties will meet again in the new year," a spokeswoman said.

"We look forward to reaching a new agreement for season 2023-24 and beyond to secure the best cricket possible at Manuka Oval.

"Manuka Oval is willing and able to host Test cricket. We will prioritise women's international cricket. We will always also be interested in men's international opportunities, however we acknowledge it is a very competitive landscape.

"Canberrans love watching cricket at Manuka Oval, with this in mind the ACT Government would also like to regularly host high level domestic content involving men's and women's teams, for example, Big Bash cricket."

Canberra will host a women's Twenty20 international clash between Australia and Pakistan in January.

Boorer supports Barr's vision to attract more female fixtures to the ACT, with the chair eager to see Manuka Oval play a role in the growth of women's Test matches.

"There's no doubt Canberra is the female sporting capital of Australia," Boorer said. "There are lots of women's teams based in Canberra playing in national competitions in sports we don't have a men's team.

"There is a lot of motivation in Canberra cricket and the ACT government to snare women's Test matches if and when they become available, noting how successful the Ashes Test was for the ladies last summer."

It's been a busy week for Boorer, having also met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during the match at Manuka Oval.

It didn't take long for the association's quest for admission into the Sheffield Shield to come up and Boorer found an ally in Albanese.

"We talked to him about our ambitions for ACT cricket," Boorer said. "He thought they were all fair and reasonable. He's a good friend of the chief minister and couldn't imagine a national cabinet meeting without the ACT being present.

"So how could you have a national sporting competition without the ACT being part of it?"

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