Very few things are quite as depressing during a Test match as the massive white (or pink) covers stretched across the pitch and surrounding square in Sydney. In recent years, a chorus of pleas has echoed to lose the premium fixture due to the regular fixture of the covers, with the late Shane Warne famously advocating for the Sydney Test to be played at the start of the summer. This year’s Sydney Test was again affected by rain, marking the seventh Sydney Test in the past eight to be interrupted by rain. Sydney has had 26 washed-out days in Australian Tests, the most for any ground in the country since 1877, compared to Melbourne with only nine, the Gabba with eight, and Adelaide with only two. However, the history behind Sydney hosting the New Year’s Test is a lengthy one, back to the beginning of 1997 when the last New Year’s Test failed to be played at the SCG. Ultimately, recent rainfall observations in Sydney have been increasing in recent years and are reliably wetter than December. There have been proposals to move the New Year’s Test to Adelaide, preferably a day-night Test to use the oval properly. This would allow Sydney to retain a drawcard Test and ensure as much Test cricket is played as possible. Overall, the article suggests different venues and scheduling for Test matches to accommodate changing weather patterns and ensure more play.
