King Charles invited to 150th anniversary cricket Test in Melbourne

MELBOURNE, Mar 12 (AFP): King Charles and global cricket royalty have been invited to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first Test match in Melbourne, officials said Thursday, with ticket sales through the roof a year before a ball is bowled.
Australia will play England under lights at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to celebrate the landmark from March 11-15 next year.
It will commemorate the first ever Test, played between the two arch-rivals, at the same stadium in 1877.
All members of the Australia and England teams that played in the 1977 Centenary Test -- also at the MCG -- are set to attend.
The late Queen Elizabeth II was at that game and officials are hopeful King Charles will make the trip in 2027.
"We've extended (an invitation) through all the appropriate channels, both government here and in the UK, for the King or a subset to be here,"
Cricket Australia chief Todd Greenberg told the Sydney Morning Herald.
"That's certainly high on our list,"