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Fans cast further doubt over one-day cricket’s long-term future by voting with their feet, as only 25,463 spectators attended Sunday’s game between Australia and West Indies at the MCG.
The attendance – barely a quarter of the MCG’s capacity – was low despite fine conditions and the match being the first of the five-game series.
It also provided more evidence of one-day cricket being well behind in the popularity stakes to Twenty20, as Friday night’s shorter game between Australia and Pakistan attracted 60,054, the biggest cricket attendance this season.
Officials were hopeful a crowd of up to 35,000 would attend Sunday’s game.
They were disappointed by the attendance, but insisted 50-over cricket was still relevant and popular among fans.
Cricket Victoria chief executive Tony Dodemaide said Sunday’s low crowd did not mean the end of the 50-over game was nigh.
“I don’t think so, it’s easy to just draw those conclusions on the face of it,” Dodemaide told AAP.
“But let’s look at the TV (ratings) as well.
“It was a very different mix of crowd (on Friday night), and we know that families are more atuned to coming to 20-over cricket than they are 50-over cricket because of a long day and schools were back last week, so many people won’t bring their family out on a Sunday night.
“The indicators say it (the 50-over game) is still holding up, certainly in terms of broadcast, which demonstrates there is real interest in 50-over cricket.”
Cricket Australia (CA) spokesman Peter Young said Sunday’s game was broadcast live into Melbourne, and that the organisation would not know the Nine Network’s rating figures until Tuesday.
He said live broadcasts brought the risk of people staying home, but said attendances were always likely to be lower later in the summer.
“Crowds drop off after the Australian tennis Open, people have gone back to work and school and it is a school day tomorrow,” he said.
The crowds in the recent series between Australia and Pakistan were also low, although 30,774 fans attended game two at the SCG and the last match at the WACA Ground attracted an attendance of 20,464.
But only 19,758 fans attended the series opener at the Gabba, 15,521 watched game three at the Adelaide Oval and 13,841 went to the fourth match at the WACA Ground.
The second match of the West Indies series is in Adelaide on Tuesday, with games to come in Sydney (Friday), Brisbane (Sunday week) and again in Melbourne on February 19.
That last clash will pit cricket directly against the AFL, as Collingwood and St Kilda will play a pre-season game at Etihad Stadium.
Young said CA was compiling a study on the interest in all forms of cricket, but had been pleased with attendances this summer.
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