Mackay makes cricket history as day one of inaugural Test match sells out
Barry Jansen mortgaged his house to help build a cricket arena in the Queensland city of Mackay. Forty years later his club is hosting its first international Test match.
Mackay, a Queensland city, has made cricket history by hosting the first day of an inaugural Test match between Australia and Bangladesh. The Great Barrier Reef Arena at Harrup Park, the 12th Australian venue to host a Test match, was packed with Bangladeshi locals, some waving flags and placards, while others brought along a tiger or two.
Developer Barry Jansen mortgaged his home without telling his wife for five years to buy land for the cricket arena, which became a reality in the late 1980s when three members of the cricket association risked their homes to fund the expansion. The playing surface at Harrup Park features the same clay soil profile as the Gabba, and selectors, coaches, and players have been blown away by the quality of the pitch.
The match, scored by Cricket Australia official scorer Mel Dwyer, marked a dream come true for her, who started scoring Tests 12 years ago when her youngest child began playing representative cricket.
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