Rain fell on the primary day of the ultimate Ashes Check, as Joe Root and Harry Brook tamed Australia’s bowlers to take England to 211-3 by stumps.
It was England’s finest day of batting thus far on this sequence, but it surely was reduce brief.
The sunshine waned rapidly over the enduring Sydney Cricket Floor after lunch, with umpires marching the gamers off the sector at 2.50pm, even with the floodlights on.
Darkish clouds gathered as a storm swept its means in the direction of Sydney, with an early tea being known as.
Grounds workers ran on with the covers, as cracks of thunder have been heard within the distance. The rain started to fall and stumps have been known as early.
‘I might hardly see the ball once I was batting on the finish,’ Harry Brook stated later that afternoon.
A storm swept its means by Sydney on Sunday afternoon, placing a halt to proceedings within the last Check match on the SCG
Play was suspended at round 2.50pm resulting from poor mild, even after workers turned the floodlights on
The Sydney Check has had 17 extra washouts than the following highest venue, Melbourne, which has had 9 washouts
‘Me and Rooty simply stated to them [the umpires] it’s so darkish out right here, the Aussie boys have been saying, “Are we going off?” So, yeah, all people was just about in the identical boat.
‘It was darkish after which clearly we had that rain, so we have been simply sat round ready for it to be known as off actually.’
The excellent news is that the thunderstorm is about to hopefully blow over Sydney within the coming days, with no rain and heat temperatures anticipated for the rest of the week.
Nonetheless, for the reason that Eighteen Eighties, Sydney Exams have misplaced 26 days resulting from washouts.
It implies that the Sydney Check has had 17 extra washouts than the following highest venue, Melbourne, which has had 9 washouts.
Sydney is Australia’s second wettest metropolis, behind Darwin, with the east-coast metropolis having endured a very moist yr in 2025.
With the opening day of the Sydney Check coming to a untimely halt, the file 49,574 followers contained in the stadium have been as soon as once more left feeling shortchanged.
The age-old dialogue has re-emerged over whether or not the ultimate Check match of the summer time must be hosted in Sydney as a result of climate situations
The enduring floor has locked within the New 12 months’s Check till 2030, however makes an attempt have been made to vary the schedule
‘Demise, taxes and the Sydney Check being stopped resulting from climate yearly,’ one wrote on X.
‘Cease the propaganda, Melbourne’s climate is best.’
‘Darkness and inclement climate at Sydney? No. I by no means,’ one other wrote.
‘Gentle delay on the SCG at 2.50pm. Sydney, what an important metropolis for Check cricket.’
It has thrust the scheduling of the New 12 months’s Check again into the highlight.
‘This Check both must be the day/evening Check or the second or third in a sequence,’ one wrote. ‘Can’t have a sequence continuously ending with this rubbish.’
‘The best rivalry in world cricket is between Sydney and the climate,’ one other X person stated.
The recurring debate has raged for a few years, with cricket followers, yr after yr, urging Cricket Australia to tinker with the calendar and transfer the Check to an earlier date in the summertime.
Aussie icon Shane Warne was one who agreed, with the Victoria nice claiming that the Sydney and Brisbane Exams must be swapped.
‘It’s higher climate [at the start of the season] than it’s within the first week of January,’ Warne stated again in 2022, talking on Sydney’s local weather.
‘It simply appears to at all times rain within the Check match. It’s such a fantastic venue, such a fantastic metropolis. Think about if the vacationers, and any opposition crew, got here right here to Sydney and had 10 days on the harbour and loosening up, preparing after which play the primary Check in Sydney somewhat than the fourth Check at all times within the New 12 months.
‘Possibly it’s time for a change. I do know Australia received’t wish to lose that first Check match in Brisbane, but it surely hasn’t been that nicely attended the Brisbane Check match both. Whereas perhaps Brisbane might be the New 12 months Check match and Sydney might be the primary one.’
It seems to be like Cricket Australia might be unwilling to modify up the calendar any time quickly, although, with Cricket NSW having locked in a deal to host the SCG till 2030.
South Australia had made a ploy to swap its December Check for the New 12 months’s Check, however that was rapidly shot down (Pictured L-R: Joe Root, Harry Brook and Travis Head)
Ex-Aussie skipper Michael Clarke shot down any notion that the New 12 months’s Check must be performed anyplace however Sydney
In 2023, the South Australian Cricket Affiliation had tried to maneuver the New 12 months’s Check to the Adelaide Oval.
However the thought was rapidly shot down, with former New South Wales star Michael Clarke capturing the proposals down.
‘Not occurring,’ Clarke stated on Large Sports activities Breakfast.
‘Can’t take Boxing Day from the MCG and you may’t take New 12 months’s away from the SCG, [an] absolute no-brainer. The day that stops is the day Check cricket is completed on this nation.
‘Their (Adelaide) Check match is ideal, after they’ve received it, below lights, it’s good, it’s working so nicely. Why would they wish to change that?’
He wasn’t the one one to dismiss plans to maneuver the New 12 months’s Check away from the SCG.
‘The Pink Check in Sydney within the first week of the New 12 months is as a lot part of Australian cricket, and certainly Australian tradition, because the Boxing Day Check is for Melbourne,’ Cricket NSW chief govt Lee Germon stated.
‘A number of the biggest moments in Check historical past have been performed on the Sydney Cricket Floor in that first week of January and we see completely no cause to interrupt with custom and customized.
‘The Sydney Check has develop into synonymous with the McGrath Basis by the extremely profitable ‘Pink Check’ initiative.
‘It additionally drives important advantages to tourism in Sydney and the state of NSW.
‘Scheduling discussions round a summer time are at all times ongoing between stakeholders however Cricket Australia has not given any indication to Cricket NSW that they’re contemplating a transfer from custom.
‘Finally, we would like what’s finest for Australian cricket and the followers of our sport, however we strongly consider that isn’t served by transferring a long-standing and profitable piece of the calendar.’
