The 2014-15 Australian domestic cricket season is underway, and is set to be filled with plenty of drama and action.
A Test series against India, a one-day Tri-series, a few T20 internationals and the cricket World Cup are all to be played in our backyard.
Still, domestic cricket fans aren’t happy.
As most of us already know, the average domestic match can at times struggle to draw in even a half-decent crowd. And most matches of the Matador One Day Cup are being shown live on television.
Though, despite Cricket Australia’s best efforts, the fans still aren’t happy. So, I would like to propose an idea.
Instead of hosting every tournament in either Queensland or New South Wales, why not share it around the country?
Hold the 2015-16 season in Victoria and Tasmania. But instead of having every game just at Bellerive Oval and the MCG, play the matches around the two states.
This would give fans that live in regional cities such as Bendigo, Ballarat, Bairnsdale, Ulverstone, Launceston and Burnie a chance to watch some of Australia’s best cricketers without travelling to the capital to watch a game.
The second and third-placed preliminary final should be played at Bellerive with the final inevitably going to the MCG.
For 2016-17 season, have the games shared across the Western Australia, South Australia and Northern Territory borders. Games could be played in places such as Alice Springs, Karrathra, Mount Gambier, Kalgoorlie and any other suitable locations.
Have the playoff semi-final match at the WACA, with Adelaide Oval hosting the final.
With this rough plan, fans – like myself – will stop complaining about eastern state dominance, and it could also grow the game a little more.
One small problem that might be faced is the television networks not being able to have good camera angles or coverage in the regional towns. This though, might be a good business opportunity for local scaffolding companies.
Also having this system in place would mean that you could only get to see your team playing a one-day match every few seasons. Which is a disappointing but fair outcome in my opinion.
So Roarers, what do you think? Is there anything that I missed that you think might be a problem? Or have you got a completely different plan? Let me know in the comments.
For twitter fans, you can follow me @Lachy7Doyle
Joshua Butler
Guest
If it is always going to be held in NSW, then would teams consider pulling out of the competition? If one state hosts, then make a 6 year rotation (so that every state hosts the competition at some point) If two states host, then make it a 3 year rotation for each pair of states (eg. WA/SA - Vic./Tas. - NSW/Qld.: have one of the pair host the first match & 2-3 playoff & the other hosts the final; swap things every 3 years, so that the team that had the final 3 years earlier, hosts the first match & opposite case also applies)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Very good comment Don.. On that I was at some of the games played at Bankstown Oval last year during the school holidays. For one of the games on a Public Holiday there would have easily been 2000 -2500 people there which is about 2000 more than there ever would have been before this comp was reformed. Win win for cricket, venue to be possibly turned around in a few years time.
Lachlan Doyle
Roar Pro
Don't get me wrong Don, I am extremely grateful for channel nine's coverage of the one day cup. It's just I feel that the matches should be shared around a bit, thats all.
Don Corleone
Guest
There are pretty logical reasons for the changes to the domestic one-day cup. It was becoming a huge white-elephant as a subscription TV-only competition with little profile and a mixed-up schedule (ie 2 month break). The lack of broadcast cricket in October was a real vaccuum that needed rectifying...thus the tournament style was ideal for a competition which had lost its identity and relevance. Why was it held in Sydney the first year? Primarily the amount of List A grounds available unlike many of the AFL states were the grounds are not yet in the condition for hosting cricket. For instance, when the one-day cup commenced this year...people were complaining that Bushrangers weren't able to play home games....ignorant of the fact that the MCG didn't have a blade of grass on it as it was being resurfaced. Secondly, the Nine Network's outside broadcasting facilities were based in Sydney where the majority of List A grounds were available...plus Cricket Australia was paying $1 million to Nine to broadcast it...not the other way around. The competition was expanded into Brisbane this year...and a couple of hundred fans turned up...if that. Yet it was on free-to-air TV and over 40,000 have watched the game. The Matador Cup hashtag was even trending on Twitter. The whole domestic one-day cricket brand needs rebuilding from the ground up due to CA, broadcaster and fan neglect. Fans should be grateful that there is domestic one-day cricket broadcast at all...appeasing a few dozen fans around the country who want to see the games at the ground is unsustainable and unrealistic.
Simon Smale
Roar Guru
I'd certainly hope the tournament moves around a bit, if nothing else than to expose players to different conditions in the different states. As everyone has said though, money talks and if Channel 9 don't want it to happen, then I'm guessing it probably won't. The problem is, if the domestic game is marginalised then the people who are going to suffer are those involved in the Australian national team. If players don't play state games or the state game is ignored and marginalised then the likelihood of them being able to step up to the national team will be greatly diminished.
Timmuh
Roar Guru
I'm not sure here, but thought Nine were paid by CA. It may simply have been a change to the rights deal with the ListA comp being considered part of the "contra" so Nine pay less and CA save face by not having a headline reduction in value.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Josh, for test matches it's great for ratings when games are in WA, however not so when one day games are on especially as day nighters, and if you are going to be serious about preparing players in a tournament style for the world cup then day night matches have to be played.
Scott Pryde
Expert
I think you will find CA payed Nine but I could be wrong.
josh
Roar Rookie
Usually 9 like WA games, the time difference sets up for prime time viewing.
josh
Roar Rookie
Are you sure? Wasn't the broadcast of the ODD competition, part of the new deal? That under the negotiations ten said they would show them, so 9 had to stump up and broadcast them, whether they liked it or not. I think 9 had to pay CA to broadcast them, to get the rights for the Internationals. They couldn't have one and not the other.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Nine are actually being payed by CA to televise it so they are losing money out of it no doubt about it.
jamesb
Guest
It comes down to the running costs of broadcasting the one day tournament. Nine is fully aware that they won't be making much money out of it. If anything, they may be losing money. Still, this years tournament is an improvement from last year. The tournament has one extra round and is played across two states. Once Junction oval gets the go ahead, they too will be hosting matches. It might be a while before Perth gets to hosts matches. Again it comes down to broadcasting costs.
Timmuh
Roar Guru
Nine probably won't televise games unless they are mostly in Sydney. That is where their people and equipment is mostly based. Actually having games in Brisbane this year is a minor coup for CA. Victoria and Tasmania also lack other ListA accredited grounds. Victoria might be playing home Shield games outside Victoria this year because of a lack of First Class grounds with the MCG taken for longer than usual by internationals due to the World Cup. In the past various ities and towns have held games but the rules around suitability have got much harder. As I understand it, ListA accreditation is not as stringent as First Class, with less requirement for practice facilities. So there may be some grounds available. St Kilda's Junction Oval is probably one and Shield games may be moved there in the future if CV and/or the state government puts money in. Australia's original interstate cricket venue, the NTCA Ground in Launceston, is run down to the point where it is borderline unuseable even without the relatively new rules. The Launceston City Council would of course throw York Park into the mix, but a single drop-in pitch within weeks of TSL football in that climate (and with the Launceston Show) make that unlikely. Burnie's West Park came under consistent criticism after it took over from Devonport Oval. There were games recently in Kingston against Scotland, but they were not given ListA status. To get games around the regional areas, two Shield games a seasn should be played outside the capital cities. But that would require a lot of investment to bring grounds up to standard in order to attract a few hundred people. Ideally those games would be played to include weekends, and as much as possible ones with no international cricket on TV.