The late Shane Warne‘s calls to move the Sydney Test away from its early January timeslot due to regular inclement weather have been ignored by Cricket Australia. The SCG Test has long been problematic with seven of the last eight Tests hit with weather delays and four games finishing in draws.

And after rain interrupted the fourth Ashes Test in 2022, Warne campaigned for Cricket Australia to change the date of the Sydney Test to the start of summer. “It’s better weather then than it is in the first week of January,” Warne said at the time.

“It just seems to always rain in the Test match. It’s such a beautiful venue, such a beautiful city that imagine if the tourists, and any opposition team, came here to Sydney and had 10 days on the harbour and loosening up, getting ready and then play the first Test in Sydney rather than the fourth Test always in the New Year. Maybe it’s time for a change. Maybe Brisbane could be the New Year Test match and Sydney could be the first one.”

But on Sunday it was confirmed that the New Year’s Sydney Test is here to stay, with it and MCG’s Boxing Day Test locked in until 2030 as part of a new deal confirming the men’s international hosting rights for the next seven summers of cricket. “The Pink Test and Jane McGrath Day has become an important event for so many,” NSW Sports Minister Steve Kamper said. “Locking in the Test for another seven years will allow this great tradition to grow and protect the important legacy of this fixture.”

NSW Premier Chris Minns added: It’s a hallmark event on the state’s calendar. From Steve Waugh’s last over hundred, to watching Justin Langer, the late Shane Warne and our own local legend Glenn McGrath retire together at the Sydney test in 06/07, these are quintessential cricketing moments in Sydney.”

There has been talk of Perth and Adelaide wanting the chance to host a New Year’s or Boxing Day Test, but that won’t be happening until at least 2031. Adelaide Oval will host the second Test of the summer in the lead-up to Christmas from 2025/26, including a combination of Day-Night and Day Tests. It will also host a BBL New Year’s Eve match for the next seven seasons.

While Perth Stadium has also secured its spot as the first men’s Test of the summer until 2026/27. But as part of the new deal, Brisbane will miss out on a Test match in the 2026/27 summer for the first time in 50 years.

Why the Sydney Test is almost always rain-interrupted

The start of the year in Sydney is regularly both hot and wet. And so it is no surprise that Sydney has had an incredible 27 washed-out days in Australian Tests – the most nationally since 1877. In comparison Melbourne has had nine days, the Gabba had eight days and Adelaide had two days.

Ahead of this year’s SCG Test, which saw day two washed out, Weatherzone meteorologist Jess Miskelly told the Sydney Morning Herald that Sydney in January is prone to thunderstorms. “At this time of year, we have decent hotter temperatures so thunderstorms are more likely,” she said. “Moisture is steaming ahead of the troughs and that’s been enhanced this year because the sea surface temperatures off the Tasman Sea have been high and pumping more moisture into onshore winds.”

Seven of the last eight Tests at the SCG have been interrupted by rain, with four of those matches ending in draws. The worst case was in 2016, where only 11 overs were bowled across the middle three days of the New Year’s Test.