By David Wiseman
January 19th 2010 @ 1:54am
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Big Bash could be the saviour of Australian cricket
Australia captain Ricky Ponting swings out at the ball. AP Photo/Matt Dunham
The Twenty20 Big Bash is going to take over the Australian summer, not because Twenty20 cricket is so great, but there is a void that needs to be filled.
The way it currently stands, there isn’t that much cricket played between November and February. So what there is, is horribly stretched out.
So much so that the West Indians left these shores in mid-December and will return for their pyjama cricket in February.
When you have Sundays in December and January in which there is no cricket on the TV, then that spells a summer of discontent.
Every year, the Big Bash gets better, but a problem with it this year has been the scheduling.
There should be more cricket, with less of a break in-between matches. If it expands to eight teams next year, as has been mooted, all teams should play each other twice with games played every day.
You could also have two double-headers over the weekend.
Condense the period in which the Australian side plays and this will allow the international players to be a part of the Big Bash.
For 40 years, people have tried to devise a way to bring crowds to domestic cricket – this is your win-win-solution.
Imagine a game where Ricky Ponting is taking on Mitchell Johnson or Doug Bollinger is giving it to Mike Hussey.
The players would feel a renewed association with their States and the crowds would love this.
Had this been around earlier, we would have got to witness Dennis Lillee steam in to Ian Chappell and Shane Warne duelling with the Waugh twins.
Yes this happened in Shield and 50 over cricket, but in a pretty insipid atmosphere in-front of threadbare crowds. Not something like this, which has a real sense of occasion and a hyped up crowd.
No one denies that Test cricket is the ultimate form of cricket and the thing that all players should aspire to play, but this is going to bring people through the turnstiles. And cricket as a form of entertainment needs to be mindful of this.
The Day 1 attendance at the Melbourne Test against Pakistan was just under 60,000. It was just above 5,000 for the fifth and final day.
Ricky Ponting might not like it, but to quote Bill Lawry in the spirit of the 12th Man: “it’s what the fans want.”
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Gerry Faehrmann said | January 19th 2010 @ 5:09am | Report comment
There is definitely a void that needs to be filled. I was there the other night with my wife and 6 children when the Blues blitzed the SA team. You might laugh at taking all the kids including a 6 & 2 year old, but I gotta tell you there was wall to wall kids there in the ANZ Stadium. I reckon there would have been at least 50% kids in the crowd!
This 20 20 game is cricket on steroids, and I gotta tell you it fits really well with all the ADD types. No time for the kids to get bored with the 20 20 version.
Any way that’s my 20 cents worth!
Brett McKay said | January 19th 2010 @ 5:53am | Report comment
completely agree Garry, similar sentiments were expressed about the 40K+ crowd in Melbourne last Friday. Curiosity and mild interest is becoming a flood of spectators..
Gerry Faehrmann said | January 19th 2010 @ 8:50am | Report comment
That’s right, Brett. I suspect the Cricket Administrators will be licking their chops and rubbing their hands together with all the excitement.
I neglected to mention that last Sunday I went (with a mate, his son, and one of my daughters) to see Sydney FC get beaten by Gold Coast at SFS, then just before the final siren we scampered out and drove down Parramattta Road to Homebush to see the 20 20 Big Bash with my wife and rest of clan.
Mate, I’m all sported out! Is that possible?
Jay said | January 19th 2010 @ 8:17am | Report comment
dont know about the games played every day and double headers (i thought T20s were introduced beacause ODIs were too long, so why play a 6 hour game??).. but agree that the big bash has been successful and exceeded my expectations.
Cracker said | January 19th 2010 @ 8:19am | Report comment
If the big bash expanded to 8 teams who would be the additional two? South and North Island NZ?
Fisher Price said | January 19th 2010 @ 1:15pm | Report comment
The Big Bash is speed-dating sponsored by a junk food business.
buck said | January 19th 2010 @ 4:27pm | Report comment
i wonder whether, like the A-league crowds which began bright, whether the T20’s ones will fall off and find their level (to build on once found) after much curiosity from spectators early on.
will more games keep fans coming in such large numbers?
David Wiseman said | January 19th 2010 @ 4:52pm | Report comment
A problem with Test cricket is that its horribly over-policed and over-priced. For a day’s cricket, you could find yourself out of pocket by a bit – that is, if you aren’t thrown out of the ground for sneezing or looking at someone the wrong way.
vinay verma said | January 19th 2010 @ 8:19pm | Report comment
You are quite right,David. It is absurd that there are restrictions on musical instruments and beach balls. I’d rather people threw a beach ball than a chicken leg as some have done. The policing needs common sense. And $5000 if someone streaks across the ground. That is absurd. But this is happening in the West Indies also. The crowds there are dwindling because they have banned the drums and the weed. I have never found any racism at the SCG and I can assure you I would know if someone was being obnoxious. But this would be the same at the Big Bash. The food and the beer is still overpriced. The English have a more mature attitude to spectators at the cricket and it is fun to be there.
Test Cricket has to be entertaining..the playing and the surroundings.I have been advocating a spectator’s union for some time. A reserved ticket should not cost more than $25 and an outer ticket at $10 is the maximum. You might then find more people attending. The One dayers are the same. It is time cricket became the working man’s sport and not the privilege of the elite and the corporates.
Working Class Rugger said | January 19th 2010 @ 8:02pm | Report comment
I personally think the Big Bash has enough action to continue its amazing growth into the future. It is Cricket on steriods. More big hits and spectacular catches in a shorter time period. It will survive. I am interested in who the supposed 2 other teams will come from.
drewster said | January 19th 2010 @ 8:02pm | Report comment
I find the Big Bash great for Entertainment and Value for Money. Although I still prefer the long version of the game myself, Cricket is Cricket in any form to me. It also gives exposure to all the Cricketers who probably aren’t as well known around the country and if it is bringing in the crowds I say bring it on! Hopefully they can work out a way to get crowds back to the Sheffield Shield or at least get some better public exposure to the first class cricketers around the country.
Brett McKay said | January 19th 2010 @ 8:08pm | Report comment
I got an email from a mate up in Brisbane yesterday, and he said that he’ll be at the game in Brisbane tonight (as I type in fact), and will be “in a place called the twilight lounge. private bar, and a dress code! The tickets are only $30 (inc a free drink) so it’s a score.”
What a brilliant idea, it would have to appeal to the after-work crowd just as it has for my mate….
McLovin' said | January 19th 2010 @ 8:51pm | Report comment
Brilliant. Hopefully there will be something similar at the SCG, perhaps even a sydney v west sydney derby.
IPL is also talking about taking a small tournament to USA, Shane Bond, Kerion Pollard sold for $750,000, new T20 teams in Austalia, India, Forbes says that the growth of the IPL is phenominal..
Love it or hate it. This format is making some big moves.
drewster said | January 19th 2010 @ 8:53pm | Report comment
Yes Vinay you have hit the nail on the head! Unfortunately Elite level sport has become almost beyond the working class bloke and his family. Your pricing structure I am sure would have more people attending for more days and unless you have access to a corporate box or the like the beer and food are “Crap” and the service is just as good. As an average bloke I can afford about one day of a test match these days. You have one member of your “Spectators Union” in me.
David have to agree with you about the over zealous “Fun Police” What ever happened to a sense of humour?
David Wiseman said | January 19th 2010 @ 9:14pm | Report comment
All of the Indian stars play for their provinces in the IPL – why shouldn’t the same happen in the Big Bash with the Australians playing for their states or whatever it is going to be?
McLovin' said | January 19th 2010 @ 9:16pm | Report comment
Not all indina players play for their home states, only one ‘icon’ per state.. rest are bought/sold like cattle with the rest.
David Wiseman said | January 19th 2010 @ 10:51pm | Report comment
But the point is that they are playing in the compettion as opposed to the Australian players who are quarantined from it.
David Wiseman said | January 20th 2010 @ 12:17am | Report comment
The sides should be at full strength for the final – guys like Cameron White shouldn’t have to miss the final for a meaningless series against Pakistan. Poor scheduling.