Australia’s Northern Territory in the frame to earn future Tests to ease scheduling pressure

The success of the recent Twenty20s in the Northern Territory has accelerated the Top End’s chances of hosting future Test matches.

Australia’s 20-over series with a reinvigorated South Africa is tied 1-1 after two brilliant matches at Darwin’s Marrara Cricket Ground.

The pair of competitive sellout matches has prompted Cricket Australia boss Todd Greenberg to throw his support behind Test cricket in the Northern Territory.

He said the Darwin climate at this time of the year removed weather challenges and could act as a solution to cricket’s jam-packed schedule.

“Yeah I can, absolutely I can,” Greenberg said when asked if he can see Test cricket in the Top End.

“I was in Darwin on Sunday night, I went there primarily because it meant a lot to the people of the Northern Territory

“They hadn’t had international cricket there for the best part of I think 17-18 years, the crowd was fantastic, they love their cricket.

“It was beautiful weather, the one thing you know when you go there at this time of the year is you take the one biggest variable away which is the weather.

“Great wickets, great facilities, the short answer is yes, I can see that happening.”

Australia plays a smorgasbord of white-ball cricket before the bumper Ashes series in less than 100 days.

Greenberg said nothing was off the table in his pursuit of maximising the schedule but promised some parts of Australia’s schedule remained “sacrosanct”.

“I think we have to have everything on the table. We’re in the very fortunate position where we can play both forms of cricket at the same time,” he said.

“Part of that is really good, part of that is really challenging – again, eyes up, let’s consider what it might look like.

“It will look different in the future to what it looks like today. We have to hold onto what is sacrosanct and be prepared to change on others.”

Australia hosts South Africa in the third and final ODI on Saturday night in Cairns.