Founded in November 1838 the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) selected the current MCG site in 1853 after previously playing at several grounds around Melbourne.
The first grandstand at the MCG was the original wooden members’ stand built in 1854, while the first public grandstand was a 200 – meter long 6000 – seat temporary structure built in 1861. Another grandstand seating 2000 and facing one way to the cricket ground and the other way to the park where foot ball was played, was built in 1876 for the 1877 visit of James Lilywhite’s English cricket team.
When the Lilywhite tour stand burnt down in 1884 it was replaced by a new stand which seated 450 members and 4500 public. In 1897 second storey wings were added to ‘The Grandstand’, as it was known, increasing capacity to 9,000 and in 1900 it was lit with electric light.
The MCG was the home of Australia’s first full color video score board, which replaced the old score board in 1982, located on Level 4 of the Pons ford Stand, with a second video screen added in 1994 almost directly opposite, located on Level 4 of the Olympic stand. In 1985, light towers were installed at the ground, allowing for night foot ball and day – night cricket games.
The first inter – colonial cricket match to be played at the MCG was between Victoria and New South Wales in March 1856.
Donald Bradman’s record at the MCG is an average of 128 runs in 17 innings.
In the 11 Tests that he played there, he made at least one century in nine of them.
Australia’s highest first class score was posted at the MCG when Victoria made 1107 against New South Wales in 1926 – 27.
Not only was the first Test match played at the MCG, the first One Day International match was also played there, on 5 January 1971, between Australia and England. Australia won the 40 – over match by 5 wickets.
