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I attended the Sydney Sixers versus Brisbane Heat Big Bash League match on Friday night, so I am going to throw my two cents in on the experience. I went with an open mind, and my first impression was that they were really trying too hard with making it hip, funky, glitzy and cool.
I could handle the pyrotechnics, dog mascot, Segway cameraman, hover-toy helicopter, DJ, music, gaudy uniforms and even the cheerleaders. All this was borderline try-hard, but when they announced the trophy had LED lights and then promptly switched them on, it slipped from borderline to cheesy.
After the initial impression though I relaxed a bit and watched the game. The cricket itself was actually very entertaining; I enjoyed watching Brett Lee and Brad Haddin and was extremely pleased that Stuart MacGill had a good game. The fours, sixes and wickets came freely, so there was a lot of action to follow. After a couple of beers, I found myself bobbing along to the music and cheering at big hits and wickets and even joined in on a few Mexican waves.
The half-time fireworks were good too, and I must admit I enjoyed the novelty of a friendly border collie getting pats and chasing balls all over the field. It did dawn on me that the crowd, especially the children, were getting an entertaining experience.
Another massive plus was the interaction the crowd could have with the players during the game. When not batting the players were walking the boundary signing autographs. I thought this was a nice touch and the excited children running back with their Lee or MacGill signature on their new Sixers hats – it was pleasing to see.
The diversity of the crowd was pleasing too. It seemed most if not all categories were covered – couples, singles, groups of guys, groups of girls, tourists, families, old, young and so on. I saw quite a few business suits also, like they had come straight from work to the game. And some of the other cricket-loving nations were in attendance – there were several India flags waving about the place.
I did wonder at times whether this was a sporting contest or just entertainment, like wrestling. I mean, do the players and teams care whether they win or lose, or is the objective just to entertain the crowd? Does signing a retired player allow the team to have a greater chance of winning, or just add a big name? Will any team be proud when they raise that LED flashing cup above their head? Will it be a proud memory in their career? Or just a bit of fun and a chunk of change in their pocket?
I guess it comes down to was it entertaining, and would I attend again? Well, the answer would have to be yes and yes. If you take it for what it is, a bit of fun and a good way to spend a few hours with your mates, then it achieves this.
You get to see some retired greats in action once again and the atmosphere is pretty good. It can never and will never replace Test cricket, but it seems it has its place and has found a niche in the market.
If it can attract some more revenue and some new fans to cricket, than that is all well and good in my opinion.
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