No more big stadiums for domestic cricket
Roar Guru
By M1tch, 17 Nov 2009 M1tch is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Adelaide Oval, Australian Cricket, Cricket, WACA
Two games over the weekend, one at a near empty MCG, and the other at a near full North Sydney Oval. It’s time for the big three – New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland – to move rom the big stadiums and play at suburban grounds.
New South Wales has been doing it for a long time, with matches at North Sydney.
I would hope now with the Blacktown Oval development and an Oval at Bankstown, which NSW has played matches on, NSW become permanently based in the suburbs.
The WACA, Adelaide Oval and Bellerive Oval seem to get okay crowds and through the TV you can feel an atmosphere. Twenty20 cricket shouldn’t be the only time state cricketers get to play in front of a big crowd.
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Freud of Football said | November 17th 2009 @ 5:56am | Report comment
Adelaide Oval is the only place for cricket in SA. It’s certainly up there with the best grounds in the world and a lack of other suitable facilities means it is just fine.
Further, I’d hate to see the quality of grounds diluted if resources are spread to thin, the key grounds must be maintained 100% and that probably requires a lot of cricket.
vinay verma said | November 17th 2009 @ 6:18am | Report comment
The facilities for TV broadcast have to be considered. North Sydney Oval has a spiral staircase three levels up..and as you know there are no lifts at NSO. There is a game scheduled at Wollongong and last season they played at Drumoyne Oval and Newcastle…cant tell you much about the other States but their websites should.
M1tch said | November 17th 2009 @ 8:24am | Report comment
qld have allan border oval, although i dont think many hills for viewing points?
Freud of Football said | November 17th 2009 @ 6:22am | Report comment
Did you post this from your iPhone M1tch or was it just so lacklustre that you decided to keep it to a mere 126 words?
M1tch said | November 17th 2009 @ 8:14am | Report comment
iphone..that toy?
short and sweet article
Brett McKay said | November 17th 2009 @ 8:19am | Report comment
Freud, is artcile length your point of focus currently??
Freud of Football said | November 17th 2009 @ 6:15pm | Report comment
Brett, I am a little pedantic I admit but it is 126 words, barely enough to communicate a message while you often write chapters of books on here. I either have too much, or too little to read.
Michael C said | November 17th 2009 @ 7:58am | Report comment
Alas, the Vics used to play the odd match at Punt Rd with the grassy embankment,
but with the redeveloped MCG – the brilliant indoor facilities etc there – the Vics want to play ALL their games ‘at home’. Not bad for the 20/20 when they get around 20,000 or so in.
Tony from Northbridge said | November 17th 2009 @ 8:05am | Report comment
I agree with you Mitch – although promise me you meant to say “stadia”.
M1tch said | November 17th 2009 @ 8:18am | Report comment
i did
Brett McKay said | November 17th 2009 @ 8:18am | Report comment
This probably needs to be put in some context – it’s really only domestic one-day games we’re talking about here, and once media facilities are considerd as Vinay suggests, then perhaps there is merit in this. I’ll add Manuka Oval to the list of alternatives, too.
However, in the broader context, Shield cricket should be played on best grounds in the state, and T20 needs to cater for the larger crowds. In both cases, the major “stadia” (Tony, I like ‘stadii’) along with the likes of ANZ Stadium in Sydney, will be the grounds used.
Redb said | November 17th 2009 @ 1:41pm | Report comment
Agree. The MCG is not the right fit for domestic cricket games outside of Twenty20. Finals of the domestic one day and Shield games maybe?.
Junction Oval in Melbourne is a reasonably cozy cricket venue.
Timmuh said | November 17th 2009 @ 6:18pm | Report comment
Most games should be at the Test venues. With two seasons experience at Shield level every player should have played at every Test venue. What we do not want is for a player to play home Test on a pitch where they haven’t played a first class game.
However, a shift to playing more games at regional venues – not so much suburban, but in the rest of the state where people will turn up – should also occur.
The fact that Tasmania no longer plays first class cricket at Australia’s original first class venue (the NTCA in Launceston) is ridiculous. Similarly, NSW should be playing games (ListA and First class) every year in Newcastle, Woolongong, and a different city in the centre and west each year. Queensland in Townsville and Cairns, Victoria in Ballarat or Bendigo and somewhere in the La Trobe valley, WA in Kalgoorile, Albany, Broome. Yes, the venues might be lacking in player facilities at present, but with the promise of first class and ListA games I’m sure most could scrape together a few tens of thousands of dollars to being things up to scratch (although a lot more would be required if the pitch square needs significant work).
Brian said | November 20th 2009 @ 3:56pm | Report comment
If Galle can host test matches you’d think Newcastle could hold a first class game. In fairness to Qld & WA its very rainy during the summer months in Cains, Darwin, Broome etc.