So far this summer Test crowds in Australia have been poor. Just 12,000 turned out for the opening day of the first Test at the WACA Ground, while the match attendance over the five days was under 50,000.
Day one at Hobart saw just over 7,000 in attendance. The third day was bolstered by the standard practice of bussing in hundreds of school kids to Bellerive Oval.
With an Ashes series slated for next summer it was Hobartians’ last chance for two years to see their national team in the flesh.
As we know, both Tests ended in landslide losses with the Hobart match producing one of Australia’s most humiliating defeats on home soil.
Thankfully, for Cricket Australia, the final Test of the South Africa series will be played under lights at Adelaide Oval.
That should provide a healthy turn-out.
But beyond that it will be interesting to see how the remainder of the summer pans out.
Currently the Australian Test team is on the nose.
Following the 3-nil loss in Sri Lanka it was expected the side would be a different unit back on home soil.
Things certainly started well.
Day one at the WACA produced an exemplary display – penetrative and decisive bowling; brilliant fielding; and swashbuckling batting.
By day’s end it was a return to normal transmission.
Sadly, the picture soon went fuzzy as the team descended to a modern-day nadir.
Five consecutive Test losses have been incurred around a 5-nil one-day series loss in South Africa.
Very quickly the public has shown its discontent. Social media is awash with recriminations.
The resignation of Rod Marsh yesterday as chairman of selectors was met mostly with glee.
Come Sunday he will not be the only one on the outer as players will also be jettisoned ahead of the third Test.
In its long and storied history, an Australian Test team has never suffered a clean sweep on home soil. The threat looms large heading to Adelaide. In fact, many would view it as a formality.
And if it does come to pass there will be a further disconnect by the cricketing public.
As results have got worse the patience of the fans has been sorely tested and a 3-nil loss will see a gnashing of teeth that will dental waiting rooms.
Once Adelaide is done and dusted there will be a Test hiatus until 15 December when a three-match series kicks off against Pakistan, currently the second ranked team in the world.
Before the Pakistan series gets underway there will be a three-game ODI series against New Zealand between 4-9 December.
Traditionally, Chappell-Hadlee ODI series have not been big ticket items
However, a day after the first Test against Pakistan at the Gabba concludes BBL6 blasts into action and that will get bums on seats.
And, should Australia’s next two Tests go poorly the fan focus on the BBL will further escalate.
With its glitz and glamour, the T20 game has captured the hearts and minds of many.
If the national team continues to plumb the depths it currently is those that consider themselves catholic cricket fans may drift more toward the sport’s most abbreviated form with T20 becoming their principal place of worship.
The BBL is far more reasonably priced and it is over in half the time taken for a day’s Test cricket.
Plus, importantly, given its very nature there is not the deep emotional connection to your team as exists with Test cricket. And, if you are paying big money simply to watch your beloved team capitulate, the temptation to go elsewhere is magnified.
Test cricket is still reasonably buoyant in this country when it comes to crowds, especially in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.
In recent times, Australia has been at the vanguard when it comes to spectator attendance.
It needs to remain so for the health of the longer form of the game.
Crowds in the West Indies are largely non-existent. Often, Sri Lanka is not much better.
While some cities in India attract healthy crowds there are many – such as Nagpur, Mohali and Delhi – that struggle to half-fill their stadia.
New Zealand has had a steady decline. Pakistan plays its ‘home’ Tests in empty stadia in the UAE. South Africa on Boxing Day has struggled to fill the 25,000-seat Kingsmead ground in Durban and will this year play at the 19,000-seat St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth.
Along with Australia and India, England remains the only country to have a healthy spectator base.
Australia would be kidding itself if it believed that trend will always continue unhindered.
In recent times, fans of the national side have become disillusioned by the decisions of the administrators – the rotation policy of resting players; eyebrow raising selections; and an increasingly muddled schedule.
Early next year Australia will field two international XIs in two days when a T20 versus Sri Lanka at Adelaide will be followed a day later by a Test against India at Mumbai.
On top of all that is a currently dysfunctional national team.
Last season, 80,000 turned out at the MCG to watch the BBL Melbourne derby.
Simon Katich, a deep thinker on the game, said on ABC Grandstand during the Hobart Test the Big Bash was “hijacking the summer”.
This season it may take it captive if the national team cannot win back the public by dint of on-field success.
Magnus M. Østergaard
Roar Guru
The opening daybcrowd was poor for both tests.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
The BBL is timed specifically to fit into the time period it does. Right in the school holidays.
Amrit
Roar Guru
Big Bash should start a month later, otherwise everything would be wrapped up in under 4 months.
Amrit
Roar Guru
Even then, the crowds would not come. It's all about money and what's on offer. Had the Aussies been playing better, perhaps there would have been a chance.
Amrit
Roar Guru
Yeah, this is the trend, even in India the spectators are dropping in numbers. The game at Rajkot saw a bad turnout with only 20 % of the tickets allotted for the last day, being sold.
Dogs Boddy
Roar Rookie
WCR I have no doubt it would have mate, no doubt at all. Well free hits, time limits, field positions, bowling overs. Gilly would tear opponents apart that is true, but he was an extremely talented individual with the ability to bat like that. He also played balls on merit, not consistently lash at everything outside off stump with all his might hoping he connected. Nobody in the current team is an Adam Gilchrist As for how it is different, when was the last time you saw someone stride to the crease in T20 and block out a few overs, or leave a ball outside off stump, send someone back on a risky run etc. The way you bat in T20 is completely different to how you bat in a test. The game is designed for people to slog as much as possible. I know this because the commentators are always delighted when someone plays a regular shot. You're right mate, intent is the key here. T20 is a completely different game in that regard. T20 is entertaining, but I will always maintain it's not cricket. Even if the statement is more philosophical rather than actual.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
That's the other thing many overlook. The other guys. Cricket can be a hugely lucrative career for those at the pointy end. Not so much for the other guys. The BBL allows not only these blokes to earn a decent crust but also provides them with the opportunity to show off their wares to a much wider audience.
Jack Russell
Roar Guru
You've got it the wrong way round. It's not CA that wants t20 to be dominant, it's the public. That's why they pack out stadiums for the BBL. And just as importantly it gets people interested in cricket when sans BBL they wouldn't have given it a second look. Especially kids. Then you have domestic players finally earning a decent wage from the game as opposed to earning nothing playing in front of empty stands. Have fun attracting athletes with that package. If you really want to kill cricket, then kill T20.
Paul Nicholls
Roar Guru
I dare say the headline is correct, although it is such a shame as I think this is a fascinating test series. South Africa are a great team and although we are losing I reckon the cricket has been great to watch. Personally I would love to see a 5-test series against the Saffas.
anon
Guest
Let's see how these pink ball tests go in 5 years. I think the increase in attendance in Adelaide last summer was more about novelty value than anything. Yes, a better time slot helps, if it were simply about time slot then you would have BBL level crowds attending day night Shield games.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
The Ashes are a different beast altogether. They are the embodiment of Test Cricket. The big one. All comsuming juggernaut of the game. So while I expect the BBL to continue to grow in its 7th season next year it is almost guaranteed that the Ashes will be king. Which is also one of the games biggest issues. Name another series even half as prestigious and central as the Ashes.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
Settle down. Test Cricket isn't dead. What it needs is to be tweaked as to fit into more viewer friendly timeslot which is part of the reasoning behind the day/noght Tests that are being trialled. A big part of the reason Tests are struggling isn't that people dislike the format. And apart from outside the Ashes and maybe India the lack of appeal of opposition is that frankly people have a finite amount of time and money to spend. The BBL fits into the sweet spot for most and Test Cricket needs to move with that momentum. While I question whether Test Cricket will ever return to the days of yore in an ever increasingly busy world I doubt it will die out. Regarding more Intl T20. Please god no. I thoroughly enjoy my Cricket and used to love a good ODI but then the powers that be decided to flog the horse into oblivion by playing as many ODI's as schedules would allow. Not again. T20 works superbly as a domestic product. Let's keep it as such. I'd honestly be happy if the was no T20 Intls between its World Cup.
Sydneysider
Guest
John, that is a very logical proposal. I like your idea. Wish CA would follow your plan, but as it stands the Big Bash is going to be the big ticket item of the Australian cricket summer once again. I hope it's different next summer when the Ashes is on.
anon
Guest
Test cricket is just not entertaining. The World T20 in March/April was edge of your seat stuff. The BBL is a fun night out with some amazing skills on display. Test cricket is dead. The cricketing public worldwide apart from England has spoken. I'd be looking at scaling back the test summer to two tests against South Africa and two against Pakistan. Eventually further to just one token test against each team for the luddites. Less ODIs too, more international T20. Look at something similar to the old triangular one day series but in T20 form. It would greatly complement the BBL. People hate test/first class cricket. Just look at Shield attendances. A couple dozen turn up to a day's play for the best domestic competition in the world. Boxing Day gets a good attendance, but that's more out of tradition and the ritual of going on Boxing Day than wanting to see an entertaining day of sport.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
How isn't T20 Cricket? Apart from the reduction in overs and how many of those overs a bowler can bowl, exactly how is it different? The scoring is the same. You get out in all the same ways. There's still 11 men (not including the 12th man) on either team. The only difference is intent. And what's new about that is that instead of say Adam Gilchrist exploding during a Test match as hewas inclined to do now and again, now there are many trying to do the same. While in the likes of Touch where there are fundamental differences in the rules and play outside of batsmen trying to scores runs at an accelerated rate it's exactly the same game. I often wonder if this same the exact same argument would have come up back in the days of World Series Cricket if the internet was as central to our loves as it is today back then. I suspect it may have. I'm sure purists would have made similar statements about relevance, attention spans etc.
Dogs Boddy
Roar Rookie
T20 has it's place for sure, but it should not be the primary focus of CA, which is what it appears to be. I can see the appeal, especially for families with young kids and the newer generation who seem to have the attention span of a goldfish and the patience of an excited puppy. Everything has to be big bright, fast and shiny. I'm not convinced that flame throwers and dancing girls are really needed in a game of cricket, but if it makes people happy why not. I do watch T20, it's a fun game to watch. But cricket, Sir, it is not. It's a basdardised form of cricket. I would compare it to playing league or playing touch footy. The two are certainly related, and share a lot of skills, rules and equipment, but they are completely different games. Test cricket, however, should always be the main focus of our administration and players. It is the ultimate form of the game, and should be treated as such. It is one of the most demanding sporting competitions on earth, and requires patience, daring, strategy and skill in equal measures. Shifting focus towards the T20 arena has cost us dearly. Now kids go to see T20 and want to play like that. Defence is going out the window. Grafting an innings is going out the window. Everyone wants to hit sixes and take risky runs. Everyone wants to come out to bat and play shots from the opening ball. Everyone wants everything now. This is how T20 is killing cricket. If your end goal is to only have T20 and kill off all other forms then CA is going the right way about it. Hopefully I will be dead by then so I can roll over in my grave and not have to suffer through a summer without real cricket.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
Oh look, another article about the purity of one form of Cricket over the hollow shell that supposedly is the other. How refreshing. Truth be told these days unless it's an Ashes series the crowds just aren't going to turn up in the numbers they once did for Test Cricket. It's hardly a sudden phenomenon. Outside of that perhaps an India series could draw but otherwise the rest don't set the public imaginations ablaze. On to the BBL. Just stop with the constant fruitless nitpicking and tut tutting about it's growth as a league. This whole 'it's just not Cricket' routine is tired and hagged. It has well and truly run it's course. The BBL is far and away the most popular sports league in the country. It has successfully reached out beyond the established fan base and brought a new generation of fans into the game. It offers family friendly viewing slots, high entertainment at fair and reasonable prices. It's a Cricket success story. Stop bashing it. Truth be told the BBL will dominate this 'summer of Cricket' as coupled with the teams poor form and lack of compelling opposition it really has no competition. Next year with an Ashes should be a completely different matter though. Fianlly, as BBL6 rapidly approaches can we give up on this faulty belief that the BBL franchise have a hollow connection to their fan bases. That's a fallacy. I can honestly say during the summer I see many, many more children getting around sporting either 6ers or Thunder jerseys than I do Aus. Cricket kit. Building a base takes time but evidence would suggest that particularly among younger demographics the BBL franchises are certainly succeeding in that regard.
Dogs Boddy
Roar Rookie
Agree whole hardheartedly. T20 should never have been made an international game. It's best place is with individual countries domestic leagues. We also need to stop the IPL juggernaut by bringing in some kind of salary cap for leagues. I still like the domestic OD comp. Scheduling it to all happen in Nov in Sydney has not done anyone any favours.
Dogs Boddy
Roar Rookie
It's almost as if CA want T20 to be the dominant form of the game. I guess this is what happens when you let an accountant run the show. Ticket pricing is a big issue, scheduling is a big issue. Neither will be fixed under this administration. Even the domestic one day series is now compressed just to get it out of the way for the more serious BBL. What a joke. There was a time when CA was the envy of the world with our Sheffield Shield and Academy producing outstanding test cricketers. Now everyone is focused on the shiny trinket that is T20. The fast food of cricket. It's fast, easy, cheap and making us lazy and fat. T20 will kill cricket, and CA will encourage it all the way with this clown in charge.
AREH
Roar Guru
I like the idea; and then the Matador Cup could be run during February, given the current interest in that tournament is so low anyway it probably won't make much of a difference.