|
The Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia is the epitome of all sporting and entertainment venues in the country. It opened to all sporting events in 1854 and since then, has grown in all capacities. The Melbourne Cricket Club operates the Melbourne Cricket Ground and this association has grown well in over 150 years, since the Lieutenant-Governor La Trobe made a grant of the 'Police Paddock' to the Melbourne Cricket Club in 1953 where the stadium is built. The Melbourne Cricket Ground is also called MCG or just 'G', as it is fondly called by the Australians. One of the world's most famous cricket grounds, it offers an electrifying atmosphere to the visitors filled with the energy of the thrills and excitement of thousands of games and events held here and the several sporting legends created therein. The MCG is like the sports lover's heaven not only in Australia but those across the world and is a must visit during sightseeing in Melbourne. No wonder that the first visit by anyone to the MCG would be cherished for lifelong. Given its existence for well over a century, the Melbourne Cricket Ground has become a sporting institution in Australia and was included in the National Heritage List of the country so that its essence is maintained for many generations to come. This makes the MCG one of the popular Melbourne tourist attractions. The MCG has a seating capacity of 100,000 and it hosts more than 90 days of cricket and Australian Rules Football each year. Some other games played here are baseball, rugby and soccer. The attendance exceeds 3.5 million people annually at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. There have been brilliant records made at the MCG. Sir Don Bradman, regarded by many as the best Aussie cricketer ever, and arguably the best player of all times, has remarkable records of scoring 9 test centuries in 17 innings, averaging 128 runs-per-innings at the MCG. The Melbourne Cricket Ground has also hosted a number of thrilling cricket matches: 1982-83 Test between Australia and England, the Australia-New Zealand decider in 1987-88 and the 1982 Word Cup final between Pakistan and England. The Melbourne Cricket Ground is internationally known for being the centerpiece stadium of the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Other than sports, the MCG has also hosted many musical concerts by world-renowned artists like Madonna, Paul McCartney, U2, Michael Jackson, Elton John and the Rolling Stones drawing huge crowds. Pope John Paul II also held a service at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1986.
|
