MELBOURNE, Dec 19: The Ashes series may already be decided but Australian cricket officials believe record crowds will still attend the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to see Shane Warne snare his 700th Test wicket.

Warne took his 699th wicket in Perth to end England's Ashes dream and send Australia into the fourth Test opening at the MCG on Dec 26 with a 3-0 series lead.

The leg spinner, already the most prolific wicket-taker is Test history, is set to reach the 700 wicket milestone in front of his adoring home town crowd.

Cricket Victoria chief executive Ken Jacobs said crowds of up to 95,000 were expected in the first three days of the Test, beating the world record Test attendance of 90,800 set at the same ground in 1961.

Jacobs said the record overall Test attendance of 350,354, also set at the MCG in 1936, could also be under threat.

“If the weather's fine and the match is shaping up as a good match, it would be a possibility,” he said.—AFP