Pink ball path to night Test at WACA
The next Test match at the WACA Ground could be a day-night fixture against New Zealand in November 2015 - the first Test played under lights anywhere in the world.
Cricket Australia will await the results of next week's trial with day-night Sheffield Shield matches before deciding whether Test cricket under lights is feasible.
The matches at the Gabba, Adelaide Oval and MCG will be played with pink balls.
CA confirmed that more day-night matches were likely to be played next season with an eye to introducing day-night Test matches the following summer.
"If these trials (next week) are successful, CA will then look to schedule more day-night first-class matches in the 2014-15 season," a spokesman said.
"The matches are the first steps towards a potential day-night Test being played in Australia in 2015-16."
No Test match will be played in Perth next summer because of the short international season before the World Cup is played in Australia and New Zealand from next February. But Test cricket will return to the WACA the following summer when New Zealand and the West Indies each play three-match series in Australia.
WA will take on Queensland at the Gabba next week, with an outright victory strengthening the Warriors' chances of playing in the shield final. But WA coach Justin Langer is wary of the game after playing in several day-night matches in the 1990s.
He was one of several outstanding batsmen whose shield averages took a hammering during the 14 day-night matches played over five seasons.
Orange or yellow balls were used in those matches, but the experiment was shelved after six years because the balls proved to be too fluorescent or indistinguishable at night.
"The yellow ones were difficult because you couldn't see them," Langer said.
"We will be batting and bowling with pink balls in the next few days to get used to them and we will try to make the most of that.
"There has been a lot of talk about day-night Test cricket in the future so this is one of the steps towards implementing it."
The Warriors trained under lights at the WACA last night to help prepare for the game.
Several Australian players have experienced pink balls during Marylebone Cricket Club matches in Dubai and have claimed that the ball emits a "comet tail" during its shiniest period and then becomes difficult to distinguish as it gets older.
Kookaburra director Rob Ell- iott recognised the problems with producing a pink ball that would last for 80 overs during the company's experiments.
"Discolouration is an issue that's going to be very difficult to solve because the contamination comes externally," he said.
"I think it's always going to be a difficult issue. But it doesn't mean it's impossible."
- The Sheffield Shield final will be played at Glenelg if South Australia host it or Manuka Oval in Canberra if NSW finish on top of the ladder.
Adelaide Oval will be unavailable because of a Rolling Stones concert and the start of the AFL season. The US Major League Baseball season opener will prevent the SCG from being used.
