No bells. No whistles. No lights. No fans. Welcome to Australian domestic one day cricket, 2014 style.
Not that North Sydney Oval is entirely bereft of spectators as the New South Wales Blues take on the Queensland Bulls on this perfect Sydney spring morning.
A couple of hundred people – elderly gentlemen, young ladies, families, afro-haired hippies, and small gangs of school kids on the hunt for autographs – are sprinkled through the picturesque ground’s vintage grandstands for one of the Ryobi Cup tournament’s grudge matches.
And under the shade of the Duncan Thompson Stand, Australian selector Rod Marsh and recovering quick Ryan Harris are taking it all in with as relaxed a demeanour as those who have handed over their $10 at the gate.
Meanwhile, out in the middle, David Warner is spanking an under-manned Queensland attack around the ground as if he’s playing an unscripted cameo in the previous night’s run-fest over in Jaipur – a high profile, high stakes environment he’d no doubt much rather be batting in.
Take away the coloured clothing on display, and this year’s Ryobi Cup is one day cricket stripped of all its artifice.
Apart from the aforementioned hippy, there’s none of the ‘world’s biggest dress-up party’ sideshow that was attached to last summer’s One Day International series.
Nor are there targets sprinkled around the boundary fence for players to aim at for cash, nor money on offer for spectators who take a catch beyond the beige (or is it off-white?) picket fence.
Nor are there any beer snakes. In fact, the only bar serving beer is doing so in cans.
What remains is a form of cricket which is supposedly dying, shoehorned into a month-long tournament format that even has some of those involved in it bemused – and, initially, surprised by its very existence.
One hundred overs sent down by a handful of international-calibre players to even better batting line-ups on an oval perfectly sized for 300-plus scores.
Every grunt, groan and behind-the-stumps chirp clearly audible from the stands.
In short, it’s yet another bloody good day to live in Australia.
It helps that the cricket itself is of a high quality.
‘Dead’ one day cricket may well be – hell, after witnessing the Aussies coast home against the Windies at the SCG last summer even I was part of the death-riding brigade – but there’s enough ebb and flow on display today to please both Test match purists and T20 hit-and-gigglers.
A couple of wickets and some crafty bowling from Nathan Hauritz slow the Warner blitz down to a mere barrage, though he brings up his century off 96 balls with near half the innings still remaining.
And if you think this game is meaningless, Warner’s trademark leaping fist pump to the air as he hits three figures is confirmation that nothing could be further from the truth.
He eventually signs off with 139 off 126 balls, furious with himself on the long walk to the pavilion after drilling one straight to Hauritz at deep mid on.
Nic Maddinson struggles against the wily Hauritz also, but smashes a quickfire (if streaky) 33 with the confidence of a man who’ll probably spend some time in the canary yellow before the summer’s out.
Hauritz’s variation and control to concede just 31 runs off his 10 overs have you wondering why Xavier Doherty scored himself another trip to India after his fruitless March 2013 excursion.
When Nathan Lyon – who, in case you’d forgotten, took nine wickets the last time he had a bowl on the subcontinent – gets his chance under the afternoon bushfire sky, he ups the ante again with a miserly 2-33 off 10 overs of cunning darts.
All the while, the world around them passes by as a swirling wind begins to pick up around the ground.
A group of teens sheds their shirts and starts heckling the Queenslanders.
An angry man threatens a group of twentysomethings with their own cricket bat for no apparent reason.
Suits stroll in from the nearby business district, high-vis wearers on smoko from local worksites. Ryobi Cup awareness and interest may be low, but it is there.
The stats area of Cricinfo will ultimately show that the Blues were bowled out for 253 in just 43 overs, a total the Bulls overtook with five wickets and 36 balls remaining.
Warner, Hauritz and Lyon may have had their names on the marquee, but impressive cameos also came from James Hopes (4-38 off 7.2, including a hat-trick chance, plus hitting the winning runs in his 100th one-dayer for Queensland) and Chris Lynn (77 off 66).
Top that off with Steve Smith bowling a solitary over of the worst leg breaks you’ll see at this level, and it all makes for a worthwhile day out at North Sydney Oval.
A little day out, but a day out nonetheless.
Especially if your name is David Warner.
Kris Swales
Expert
Thank you sir!
Kris Swales
Expert
I actually looked away for a second and only heard the aftermath - where's an instant replay screen when you need one?
emurray
Guest
I can understand the reasons why it's being done the way it is but it doesn't make it right. Agree with playing at boutique grounds but yes should also have used Canberra, wollongong, Newcastle and it should rotate state by state each year so nsw don't get the home ground advantage -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
JGK
Roar Guru
It was longer than 3-4 years ago but in the 90s I went to several games at NSO or the SCG which would have had 10,000 there.
Tenash
Guest
just to make one thing clear, when did I ever say there was no TV coverage last season ? that is complete B.S on your part. and BTW still waiting for evidence of those "thousands" of fans attending Ryobi cup games regularly, apparently dressed up as empty stadium seats and grass banks ;)
davros
Guest
I couldn't much be bothered with you tenash ...ill just go back to your original statement ...that only a couple of hundred people turning up to watch and no tv coverage...and as you quite rightly pointed out C oz had the opportunity to negotiate a good outcome for Ryobi when negotating tests and t 20 and this is te best they could come up with ...I like calling you names tenash i reckon you are a 24 carrot rolled gold tool !
Manoj
Guest
Love the photo
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Great piece Kris
Tenash
Guest
LOL davros you've really lost it haven't you ? 10,000 people turning up to Ryobi cup games regularly ? WTF ? the only occasion I can remember 10k people attending Ryobi cup was the final a couple of seasons ago at Adelaide oval and that too only cause it was FREE ENTRY. can you point out just 5 games over past 3-4 years having crowds anywhere near 10k ? calling me names isn't gonna win you the argument. what are you ? 5 years old ? grow up
Tenash
Guest
davros
Guest
also damo I neglegcted to mention at least the west ozzies and the tasssies last year could go to there games live even though there was no coverage ...all im hearing on here is how a handful of Sydney siders are enjoying a glut of quality cricket ...what about the fans from 5 other states ?
Tenash
Guest
davros haha davros, you calling me ignorant is the most ironic moment of the century. have you been living under a rock ??? you do know that all broadcast contracts ended last season, right ? so the Fox coverage you mention is irrelevant cause that contract ended last season. now under the new TV deals, Fox was offered the chance to keep showing Ryobi Cup (& maybe some shield games) But Fox Sports were pissed about losing the rights to the Big Bash League to ch.10 WHICH IS THE ONLY DOMESTIC COMPETITION THAT GETS THE BIG TV RATINGS AND MAKES MONEY and told CA - thanks but no thanks. so now CA were left with no one willing to broadcast the Ryobi cup. hence, CA coughed up $800,000 to get ch.9 to broadcast it on GEM. And they also decided to play it in one city to primarily reduce broadcasting costs. In conclusion : without this single city, month long format, there would've been NO tv coverage whatsoever. The only option would've been to go to the ground or watch a single camera stream on CA's website.
davros
Guest
yere damo I knew they did not quite get them all ...but if we get picky fox did do a better % and a more quality product ... my main point was to the wombat who said there was NO tv coverage whatsoever and that only a couple of hundred people turned out for the games .....just completely untrue....and I remember attending a Ryobi in Newcastle with a great crowd ...and also Newcastle got 10k thru the gate for a SHIELD game ...and then never got another ...that's how I would be revamping Ryobi ..quality regional grounds ala newcatle no 1 sports g in nsw....in qld take it to Townsville or cairns ...the capitol city folk are very spoilt ....where as the regional people love going to the big time stuff that they are mostly starved of .. Adelaide supported Ryobi very well so leave it there ...the victorians would know which regional ground ...maybe geelong /ballarat..... and put every game on free to air ...carnival /jump castles outside /next to and stuff for the kids prizes etc etc .....those are the sort of ideas I would use to revamp ryobi ....professional marketers and someone with a bit of vision could work wonders I believe ...if indeed that was the idea...but I believe cricket oz have seen the easy money on offer with t 20 and couldn't be bothered doing any work to help Ryobi ...easier to dumb it down ...come up with some BS about replicating a tournament ...provide an inferior tv coverage on road type pitches and watch it wither ...I prefer to listen to people of the caliber of G Bailey and C White ( which incidently Cricke oz tried to do a BCCI and gag )..when thay say we are heading in wrong direction ...also I know interstate players are filthy ..they are all marooned in Sydney ...no access to play or train or give anything back to their gde clubs .....im not buying what Coz are selling ...has a very big pong imho
Kris Swales
Expert
You can indeed.
Damo
Guest
Davros, last season Fox (pay-tv) in fact broadcast only 21 of 25 matches. It did not broadcast WA v NSW and WA v Vic (each in Perth in September, clashing with a football finals weekend), and Tas v WA and NSW v Qld (each clashing with the Test match in Perth). This season, Gem (free-to-air) is broadcasting 15 of 20 matches.
Statler and Waldorf
Roar Guru
can you still drive you car into Henson Oval and sit in your car to watch the game?
jamesb
Guest
North Sydney Oval is such a beautiful ground. Apart from an occasional Ryobi Cup game, it is such a crying shame that NSO is not used regularly in top flight sport
davros
Guest
So tenash Sutherland you just show your ignorance once again...every game was broadcast live last season on fox sports ...so no one was watching eh ? I don't mind it being on free to air to give those who cant afford it a chance to watch that is a good thing for sure .....but how come they are not televising ALL the games ... Ill repeat it again for Tenash foxsports covered ALL the games ......yep that means they were there on tv for all the true fans whenever there team was interstate and they could not attend personally...add to that they have taken it away from home fans live..... for instance yesterday a redbacks fan had no live option and no televised coverage ...that's the way to treat your loyal fans ....no access to the game whatsoever......in regard to the few hundred people you mention tenash...that's what you have NOW a few hundred overindulged sydneysiders ....Adelaide oval regularly got 7 -10 k with a day nighter ( and it was a real treat such a beautiful ground with the lights coming on as the sun went down ...quality food and bar facilities as well ) ....and oh yeah once again for Tenash ..it was also broadcast live on foxsports ...few hundred supporters and no tv coverage .....PIG'S RING you speak with forked tongue James
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Hey Kris did you see the Dougy Bollinger incident?
davros
Guest
its a great day out if you live in Sydney ....so alienating home suppoirters from watching their team live is a good thing ? and not evry game is televised ...it was on foxsports last season