Boxing Day Test crowd capacity increased as tickets go on sale
Official capacity for the Boxing Day Test has increased to 30,000 for each of the five days, up by 5000 on the initial allowance.
Victorian Sport Minister Martin Pakula confirmed the increase for the second Test against India, starting December 26, a move endorsed by Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton.
A crowd of 30,000 will be allowed each day at the Boxing Day Test.Credit:Chris Hopkins
It comes as Victoria recorded another COVID-19-free day on Thursday, continuing a streak of more than a month with no positive cases in the state.
Pre-sales for "Australian cricket family" members opened at 3pm on Thursday and were expected to sell out. Tickets will go on sale to the general public at 3pm AEDT on Friday.
There will now be 6900 Melbourne Cricket Club members allowed entry on Boxing Day and each of the following days of the Test, up from 5700, with the rest of the stadium filled by the general public, AFL members and a few corporates.
It is likely the 30,000 will be the final figure for the Test because of the need to allocate seats in bays along with protocol management issues.
Cricket Australia interim chief executive Nick Hockley was delighted with the increase.
"We can't wait to see 30,000 fans each day at the MCG for the Boxing Day Test. It will be the first time fans have been able to attend a sporting event at the MCG since the ICC Women's T20 World Cup final, and we're so excited to be able to welcome so many fans in what's been such a challenging year for Victorians," he said.
"We're very grateful to the Victorian government and the MCC who have put in a lot of hard work to ensure we can host fans in a safe manner."
MORE TO COME
Jon Pierik is cricket writer for The Age. He also covers AFL and has won awards for his cricket and basketball writing.