The first sold-out day of the summer could trigger a sweetener in the next four-year deal to bring international cricket to Canberra.
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Day two of Australia's clash with Sri Lanka at Manuka Oval is set to be a full house with Cricket Australia officials releasing a further 300 tickets for those desperate to spend their Saturday basking in history.
About 2200 tickets remain for Friday’s opening day with 4000 still available for day three on Sunday at a venue which traditionally holds up to 12,000 for cricket matches.
Cricket Australia and the ACT government have almost completed negotiations for another four-year deal and the final piece of the puzzle hinges on how well-supported the Test match is.
"That will ultimately determine a really attractive deal for cricket in the ACT for the next four years," Cricket ACT chief executive James Allsopp said.
"We have such a beautiful boutique ground, that when you know you’re going to get games that are going to attract 10-15,000, it looks so attractive in a facility like Manuka as opposed to those bigger grounds.
"We really want to pride ourselves on those games that may not fill the MCG or the SCG or the bigger stadiums. What better to place to play it rather than Manuka Oval, where 10-15,000 are going to be at capacity and it’s going to have a real sense of atmosphere where people feel close to the ground.
"It really creates that feeling in a packed house that can add value to any kind of cricket game."
The impending success of the highly-anticipated Test in the capital is the culmination of the previous four-year deal between the government and CA, with former Australian skipper Allan Border rapt with the support of Canberra's cricket tragics.
"It’s good to see when you take Test cricket to a new venue that the interest is there and it puts bums on seats," Fox Cricket expert Border said.
The prospect of more short-format international cricket coming to Canberra looks to be growing increasingly strong in a run launched by five women's Twenty20 World Cup fixtures in 2020.
A temporary stand with a roof has been placed next to the scoreboard ahead of the Test match while ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has committed to a $2.7 million upgrade to add more shade in the stands.
Barr would welcome investment from Cricket Australia and the AFL to continue to maintain Manuka Oval's status as one of the premier boutique venues in the country.
Manuka Oval continues to jostle with Hobart's Bellerive Oval to become Australia's premier No. 6 venue, with the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Sydney Cricket Ground, Perth Stadium, Adelaide Oval and The Gabba ahead in the pecking order.
If international cricket's calendar came down to the deck, Australian spinner Nathan Lyon says Brad Van Dam's Manuka Oval would be perched high above the rest.
"I am expecting a really good cricket wicket, something there with the new ball if you are good enough to put it into the right areas," Lyon said,
"If you are good enough you will hopefully score runs and hopefully it'll spin and if it is warm it is more than likely it will crack, I reckon. So I reckon it'll be a really good Test match cricket wicket.
"The ground looks an absolute picture. The work that Brad has done and his staff, hats off to them, it looks unbelievable. The outfield is probably one of the best in the country if not the world, so it should be a good game.
"Coming down to Canberra, playing the first ever Test match here and coming off a great win, I think it's important that we keep the momentum rolling so we can keep looking forward."
