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Darwin Tipped To Host Bangladesh Test As CA Looks Beyond Traditional Venues

Jatin

Marrara Stadium, Darwin [Source: @ImSarvada/x.com]Marrara Stadium, Darwin [Source: @ImSarvada/x.com]

Australian cricket might be heading back to the Top End in a big way. For the first time in 22 years, Darwin is in the box seat to host a Test match with Cricket Australia (CA) looking to split next year’s two-Test series against Bangladesh between the Northern Territory and North Queensland.

Darwin Set For First Test Since 2004 As Bangladesh Tour Plans Take Shape

If it goes through, it will mark the return of winter Tests in Australia for the first time since 2004. CA boss Todd Greenberg is clear that spreading the game into more regions is part of the big picture.

“Ideally [we will],” Greenberg said. “We want to make sure we continue to play cricket in lots of different locations, so the next generation of kids can see their stars.”

Players were impressed with how Marrara Cricket Ground in Darwin handled the recent white-ball series against South Africa. Packed stands, quality wickets and conditions that took weather out of the equation have given CA confidence to push for more internationals up north.

A Two-Decade Wait

Darwin last hosted a Test way back in 2003 against Bangladesh, followed by Sri Lanka in 2004. Since then, the city has been starved of big red-ball action. Australia A’s unofficial Tests against Sri Lanka A in July and the recent T20Is against South Africa were proof that the appetite for cricket in Darwin hasn’t gone anywhere. If anything, fans are hungrier than ever.

Queensland In The Mix

While Darwin looks set for a slice of the action, North Queensland is also firmly in contention. Mackay’s Great Barrier Reef Arena, upgraded in 2023, is pushing hard. Cairns, which hosted ODIs just last week and Tests in the early 2000s, is another option. Townsville too has had its moments, but lighting issues have seen it fall behind.

A match at any of these Queensland venues would also tick the box as the state’s Test allocation for the 2026-27 summer, given the Gabba will miss out when New Zealand tours.

The Bigger Picture

The Bangladesh Tests were initially locked in for March 2027 but the MCG’s 150th anniversary Ashes Test has shuffled the calendar. With Afghanistan’s scheduled tour next July suspended, the Bangladesh series has been moved forward, opening the door for Darwin.

Greenberg is upbeat about extending the season into the Top End, saying the recent white-ball crowds showed the demand is real.

“We had such good support, we were sold out in almost every stadium we played in,” he said. “Playing on each of the shoulder parts of the season works. International cricket is played 12 months of the year.”

If everything falls into place, Darwin could finally host its first Test in over two decades. The Top End fans are ready, the players are impressed and CA sees it as part of the future.