Australia keen on first day-night Ashes Test in 2017-18

04 January 2016 09:23

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland has expressed enthusiasm for a day-night Ashes Test during the 2017-18 series.

Australia hosted the first day-night Test, using a pink ball, against New Zealand in Adelaide in November and are keen to further develop the idea.

Sutherland hopes to schedule a day-night Test in each of Australia's home series this year, against Pakistan and South Africa, and continue the experiment when England next visit.

"It is certainly on the radar," Sutherland told ABC Radio. "We haven't had any formal conversations with the ECB.

"With the success of the Adelaide Test match this year, the anticipation (is) that we will have at least one day-night Test (in 2016).

"It seems like it would be a natural progression for there to be an Ashes day-night Test match in 2017-18.

"We'll have meetings in Dubai (in January) with a lot of the chief executives and certainly be talking to counterparts at Pakistan and South Africa.

"They definitely know it will be on the agenda. The right place, right time and right conditions - we're going to see more Test cricket played in the evening."

Australia won the Adelaide Test against the Black Caps by three wickets in a low-scoring encounter.

A round of Sheffield Shield matches in February will be played with the pink ball, which is to be refined further by manufacturer Kookaburra following feedback from the players involved in the Test.

Source: PA