Twenty20 offers best value entertainment
Roar Guru By Michael C, 18 Jan 2010 Michael C is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Brad Hodge, Cameron White, Cricket, kfc big bash, MCG, Tasmanian Cricket, tim paine, Twenty20, Victoria Bushrangers
On Friday night, I headed straight from work and met my wife and kids – who caught a train in – at the MCG.
From under the Leigh Matthews statue outside gate four, we headed in, grabbed a seat behind the non-existent Punt Rd goals, and fed up on overpriced hot food along with the chips and choccies we had brought in.
It was a footy-like atmosphere. A good crowd was building up, a bit like an early season game in March or a balmy August late season game.
The difference – this was for the cricket.
It had roughly a 3-hour time commitment, and the atmosphere of an evening game. It wasn’t too late, so you could take the kids.
And it was cheap. A family of 4 for only $25 and our littlest was free and didn’t get registered in the crowd total.
As for the game, well, the Vics got up pretty easily in the end. Tassie looked like setting nearer 200, Tim Paine showed his absolute class (the sooner he’s an Australian regular the better).
But Cameron White kept switching his bowlers around and didn’t let the Tassie bats settle. Finally, the wickets started falling regularly.
The Vics chase was almost script perfect. Local hero Brad Hodge made 90, and fell only in trying to eek out the last 10 for the 100 out of the, at that point, only about 14 more needed for the win.
43,125 was the official crowd, most stood to applaud Hodgey off the MCG. In the end, the twenty20 format delivered in a very meaningful way. It delivered a fitting tribute to a fine servant of Victorian cricket.
And we then headed home, via a packed car park, pretty content in a great night out. There were wickets, 4s and 6s, a bit of music, some gas-fired flamers when a 6 was scored, and fireworks at the end of the night. It wasn’t all tradition, but then, I was there for a day of the Boxing day test and that delivered in its own way too.
Cricket is much the better for these two forms of the game.
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- Brad Hodge, Cameron White, Cricket, kfc big bash, MCG, Tasmanian Cricket, tim paine, Twenty20, Victoria Bushrangers
January 18th 2010 @ 6:35pm
Brian said | January 18th 2010 @ 6:35pm | Report comment
T20 definately should be expanded but it needs context. I agree ODI should be discarded but there’s no point CA doing that if the ICC decides that the ODI World Cup is going to be its marquee event. Its also great to have Bravo and Afridi but if their salary’s grows this further dilutes test cricket. The main boards have to get in synch rather than saying its all too hard.
As fo the HAL it would be interesting what crowds they could get with the T20 ticket prices. Likewise I suspect the ODI againt Pakistan at the MCG will probably only get 40k which will just illustrate the importance of ticket prices in comparing crowds
January 18th 2010 @ 6:48pm
Working Class Rugger said | January 18th 2010 @ 6:48pm | Report comment
The Big Bash is definitely worth expanding to a proper League within our domestic calendar. Above I mentioned NZ teams. Maybe worth a look. Not so much a fan of home and away for it though. The shorter really is the sweeter as T20 has proven. Keep it to an 8 week competition maximum of highly entertaining cricket. Work it that each team play each other once and have a semi-final series followed by a final.
Interestingly with the ratings for the Big Bash. How long has Fox got the rights for. I would suggest that if it continues they could be up for a battle to keep them in the future.
January 18th 2010 @ 9:14pm
bever fever said | January 18th 2010 @ 9:14pm | Report comment
Just wondering, how did one day cricket go when it first started, i remember one of my mates who was dutch (his parents) even started watching the one dayers because they found it more interesting than boring old test matches. people would have BBQs to watch the one dayers, it was new and exciting.
Where does cricket go in the future, will the public be fed up woth 20/20 as it becomes more clinical as one dayers have become.
Has baseball changed its format in the US to attract more fans and in the process is cricket doing itself a disservice by divising new formats or is it simply evolving and quite normal.
January 18th 2010 @ 9:42pm
davido said | January 18th 2010 @ 9:42pm | Report comment
The best value is free to air tv.
January 19th 2010 @ 12:27pm
sheek said | January 19th 2010 @ 12:27pm | Report comment
Gawd, it’s happening….. I am becoming my father’s generation!
You call T20 cricket? Give me a break…..
Yep, it’s happening. My mother warned I would one day be like them!!!
January 20th 2010 @ 7:22am
Mick from Giralang said | January 20th 2010 @ 7:22am | Report comment
What about all that funny music kids play these days?