greg1234's Roar Profile

Russ, don’t agree with your spin on demographics. The number of Australians of cricket playing age has risen despite the aging profile. For example in 1992 21.8% of the population was aged less than 15 but by 2012 it had fallen to 18.8%. However over the same period the total population has risen from 17.6 to 22.7m, so the number of people aged <15 increased from 3.8m to 4.3m despite being a smaller proportion. I'm not saying that cricketers are <15, just using that to demonstrate that the number of potential cricket participants has increased significantly and cant be used as an excuse for declining participation.

Your reference to demographics also highlights another reason why match day attendances should be rising. From 1992 to 2012 the Aust population grew 28.9%. Even older people can watch cricket. Why haven't attendances increased?

Thanks for the link to your blog. I have a couple of observations. Melbourne has the prime position for Test cricket – Boxing Day. It receives the most publicity and hype of any Test match and people are generally on holidays over this period. MCG attendances may not be typical of the whole country and haven't exactly rocketed ahead. Attendances do increase for Tests against England, perhaps helped by the Barmy Army.

In your figures you only include the first 3 days of attendance. If the match is alive and well deep into the fifth day, surely attendances on the 4th and 5th days are relevant for calculating average daily attendance?

Lastly I note the following comment on your blog: 'I believe strongly in the historical traditions that underpin the game and am a devoted follower of Test matches, even to the exclusion of other forms of the game'. I'm not sure that's the right attitude to tackle some of the problems that face cricket.

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Russ
Perhaps the average daily and total are both important since if the average of one form is higher then you theoretically just play more of that to get the total higher. If you work on total without regard to the average then the BBL outshone all forms of cricket in Australia this summer.

I’m not sure that you presented any statistics to show that Australian test crowds are on the increase?

The In2 cricket program introduces the game to those aged 5 to 10 years. It has been running for a few years now and is not translating into participation at older age levels, as evidenced by Cricket Australia survey results over the past few years.

KomiPhil, I can’t argue with your opinion that Test cricket is the ultimate, but its not just crowd numbers that are suggesting there may be a problem. Its participation rates, the relative amount of money in the sport, public interest, the relative success of shorter forms of the game, trends in society and the warming climate.

I’m a supporter of cricket, just not a blind follower of the mantra that Test cricket is the ultimate and beyond logical examination. I still think that One Day is the best compromise between maintaining a contest between bat and ball, and keeping the game relevant in a changing world. One Day cricket seems to be on the way out, not helped by selection or promotion, and I fear that we may be seeking it or something similar as a saviour in a decade’s time.

Hi Russ
Sure statistics can be misleading bit I was trying to keep it simple. The number of people that attended the Test matches divided by the number of days they played. That’s the average daily attendance.

Yes ODI crowds have declined but the point I was making is that they still rival Test match attendances while suffering from poor treatment by selectors and administrators.

I’m not sure how you claim that Test crowds have been increasing over the past 20 years. Do a search on ‘Average Test Match Attendances’ and you’ll see that Test cricket peaked in the period from the 1930’s to 1960’s. In October 2009 the MCC commissioned research into the reasons attendances at Test cricket were declining in parts of the world.

Participation rates in Australia are down. If you look closely at Cricket Australia survey figures and strip out the ‘In2 cricket’ distortion you’ll see a decline in the number of cricket clubs, teams and people playing 11-a side cricket.

Yes T20I crowds are down but they still dwarf the other forms. The BBL average was also down compared to its inaugral season. The increase in domestic attendance compared to 20 years ago is due to the development of shorter forms of the game. The ICC’s decision to pursue 4 day Tests and day/night times could be an indication that Test cricket needs to change in line with these trends.

A speedier form of One Day cricket could still be the best way to merge the desire for a contest betwen bat and ball while satifying a time poor society where alternatives are expanding and the climate warming.