Melbourne Cricket Ground        

Jolimont,
Melbourne, Victoria

Records and statistics

Profile

The Melbourne Cricket Ground is regarded as Australia's premier sporting venue. For over one hundred years, it has played host to many of the country's biggest cricket and Australian Rules Football matches, and many other significant sporting contests besides. It was, in fact, even the centrepiece of the Olympic Games of 1956. The 'G (as it is affectionately known by the people of Melbourne) is located a short distance to the east of the city's CBD and is easily accessible by both public transport and by foot; it is common, for example, for business people to walk to the arena after work to watch the second session of day-night cricket internationals. Prior to a series of developments in the 1980s and 1990s, it possessed a capacity of around 125,000; since that time, the extension of individual seating to virtually all of its reaches has reduced that figure to somewhere closer to 97,000. In short, it is an imposing stadium: the three-tiered Great Southern Stand (completed in 1992) bounds the perimeter of one half of the ground and holds close to 50,000 people; there are also vast banks of seating in the Ponsford Stand, Olympic Stand and Members' Reserve. It is also replete with a Gallery of Sport, two giant electronic scoreboards, and a vast array of corporate and media facilities.

Notwithstanding the fact that various curators drew fire from players and spectators alike for producing a succession of wearing, low bouncing surfaces through the 1980s and early 1990s, pitches at the MCG have, for most of its history, generally facilitated well balanced contests between bat and ball. No better has this been exemplified than in famous matches in its recent past such as the 1982-83 Test between Australia and England; the thrilling Australia-New Zealand decider in 1987-88; and the 1992 World Cup Final between Pakistan and England.
Cricinfo staff

Fixtures

2016
Fri Nov 4 - Mon Nov 7 10:30 local | 23:30 GMT 19:30 EDT | 18:30 CDT | 16:30 PDT	Sheffield Shield Victoria v Queensland
Sat Nov 26 - Tue Nov 29 10:30 local | 23:30 GMT 18:30 EST | 17:30 CST | 15:30 PST	Sheffield Shield Victoria v South Australia
Fri Dec 9 (50 ovs)           15:20 local | 04:20 GMT 23:20 EST | 22:20 CST | 20:20 PST	3rd ODI - Australia v New Zealand
Mon Dec 26 - Fri Dec 30 10:30 local | 23:30 GMT 18:30 EST | 17:30 CST | 15:30 PST	2nd Test - Australia v Pakistan
2017
Sun Jan 1 (20 ovs)           18:10 local | 07:10 GMT 02:10 EST | 01:10 CST | 23:10 PST	Big Bash League Melbourne Stars v Melbourne Renegades
Tue Jan 10 (20 ovs)           19:40 local | 08:40 GMT 03:40 EST | 02:40 CST | 00:40 PST	Big Bash League Melbourne Stars v Adelaide Strikers
Sun Jan 15 (50 ovs)           14:20 local | 03:20 GMT 22:20 EST | 21:20 CST | 19:20 PST	2nd ODI - Australia v Pakistan
Tue Jan 17 (20 ovs)           19:40 local | 08:40 GMT 03:40 EST | 02:40 CST | 00:40 PST	Big Bash League Melbourne Stars v Brisbane Heat
Sat Jan 21 (20 ovs)           19:25 local | 08:25 GMT 03:25 EST | 02:25 CST | 00:25 PST	Big Bash League Melbourne Stars v Sydney Sixers
Wed Feb 1 - Sat Feb 4 10:30 local | 23:30 GMT 18:30 EST | 17:30 CST | 15:30 PST	Sheffield Shield Victoria v New South Wales
Fri Feb 17 (20 ovs) 14:00 local | 03:00 GMT 22:00 EST | 21:00 CST | 19:00 PST	1st T20I - Australia Women v New Zealand Women
Fri Feb 17 (20 ovs)	1st T20I - Australia v Sri Lanka
- Day and Night - International Matches - Covered by Cricinfo
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Latest Articles

• Size not the only challenge for NZ at MCG (Mar 27, 2015)
• Keeping a quarter-final streak alive (Mar 19, 2015)
• Exhilarating and intimidating MCG (Feb 21, 2015)
• Mind games in Melbourne (Dec 26, 2014)
• Grasping the depth of drop-in pitches (Dec 24, 2014)

Latest Photos

Jan 2, 2016

The Melbourne derby attracted a huge crowd of 80,883 fans
© Cricket Australia

Dec 26, 2015

Rain delayed the start of the Boxing Day Test by an hour
© Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Mar 29, 2015

The final was played at a packed MCG
© Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Mar 29, 2015

The sun rises over the MCG on World Cup final day
© Ryan Pierse/Getty Images