(At the time of writing) there were no official crowd figures from Optus Stadium yesterday where South Africa romped home over Australia by six wickets with 124 deliveries up their sleeve in the first of three ODIs.
It was estimated there were 9,000 in the 60,000 state-of-the-art venue at the start of the match, but even that lowly figure seemed generous.
UPDATE: The final official crowd figure was 24,342.
It looked more like two men, and a dog.
Cricket fans are unforgiving when their pride and joy play crap cricket, and Cricket Australia meanders on as an arrogant, controlling, and bullying governing body as described by the independent review.
Yesterdays debacle is best summed up by comparing the first power plays of 10 overs – Australia was 3-19, South Africa in reply 0-57.
Skipper Aaron Finch added to the confusion by making two extraordinary decisions.
He failed to review when struck above the pad roll, and given leg before. Chris Lynn nodded at the non-strikers end. Was he saying yes to a review, or skipper you’re gone? It was a lack of communication from the batsmen.
Finch walked, yet the review proved the ball would have easily cleared the stumps – a wasted opportunity.
Aaron Finch and his disappointed teammates (AAP Image/Richard Wainwright)
Defending a meagre 152, Finch ignored Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins with the new ball, and gave it to Nathan Coulter-Nile who was promptly carted for 16 runs, and dismissed.
Earlier it was Coulter-Nile top scoring with 34 off 31 with five fours and a maximum, batting nine.
Man-of-the-match belonged to veteran South African quick Dale Steyn, the oldest in the game at 35 years and 130 days, with 2-18 off seven, with 32 dot balls, on a receptive wicket.
He’s been around for a long time, having debuted in 2005, but yesterday was only his 119th ODI, thanks a spate of injuries.
As he said at yesterdays presentation – “It’s nice to finish a game in Australia without breaking down”.
It’s Australian cricket that’s breaking down big time, with no positive end in sight.
That’s the 17th ODI Australia has lost in 19 starts, that began long before the lengthy suspensions to Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft.
Yet the Australians have won four of the last five Cricket World Cups.
In 1999, Australian beat Pakistan by eight wickets at Lords, beat India in 2003 at Wanderers by 125 runs, beat Sri Lanka in 2007 by 53 in Barbados, and will be the defending champions next year after beating New Zealand at the MCG by seven wickets in 2015.
It’s almost impossible to see Australia improving enough to be in contention between May and July in England and Wales.
If those stats are not disturbing enough, the Australians haven’t won the Ashes in England since 2001 – 17 years ago.
They were beaten 2-1 with two drawn in 2005, and 2009 – and lost 3-0 with two drawn in 2013.
In short, Australia has only won two Tests in England in the last 15, so the rot has been coming.
Despite the gloom, there were two bright spots yesterday – not having to listen to Mark Nicholas nor Michael Clarke prattling on in the commentary box.
We must be grateful for small mercies.
Beni Iniesta
Guest
Smith disgraced the name of Australian Cricket by failing to pull up VC Warner & Bancroft and their cheating ways. As the Captain of the team Smith got off lightly for his crimes. Why are you having a go at Cricket Australia for that? That’s one of the only things CA got right this year! Who cares what the South African Captain did? It’s totally irrelevant and no one cares. Seems like you suffer from one of the problems identified in the review - a “Win at all costs” mentality we are better off leaving in the dustbin of history.
Beni Iniesta
Guest
So David Peever & Mark Taylor have resigned in the wake of the Review into Cricket. That’s it?? How about some other leading figures in the game taking responsibility for the poor performance of the team in 2018. Maybe it’s time there was a real clean out - surely it’s time Justin Langer, Kevin Roberts, Pat Howard, Tim Paine & Aaron Finch moves on for the good of Cricket in Australia and some real level of renewal. Just having a couple of Board Members resign in the wake of the scathing review isn’t enough. Where’s the accountability in Australian Cricket for the pathetic results this year? Sadly, it seems like accountability is a foreign word to the Australian cricketing fraternity. Sad.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
That comment had more inaccuracies than David had in the article, anon. It just occurs to me that you two might be the same person.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
It goes with the name. Well said, Don.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
NCN has a pretty good record in ODI with a new ball. He did take a wicket when he was brought back (way too late). Something the big 3 didn't do.
Mick Jeffrey
Roar Rookie
It actually was apparently the biggest ODI crowd for a November match anywhere in Australia.
anon
Roar Pro
That 24k attendance they came up with is clearly a lie. Don't insult our intelligence. That's 40% full. How stupid do they think the public is? There wouldn't have been more than 10k in their seats at any one time. The most that would have gone through the gates would be 15k and that's being generous. I don't think the low attendance really had much to do with the scandals. Maybe a little, but ODI cricket has been on the nose for a while. The MCG only gets 20k to ODIs with most of those people being fans of the opposition. The WACA would only ever get 10k to most ODIs.
JayG
Guest
Seconded, Don. We have to be more than fair weather fans
Don lampard
Guest
They need us now - get behind our boys. This whole debacle has been a long time coming but what's done is done (btw I totally disagreed with the length of the bans but we are stuck with it). Our boys are in an terrible spot and we have to help them out of it. Come on Aussie come on!
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
And now Taylor's resigned from the Board full-stop.
PalmPete
Roar Rookie
It wasn't even important enough to b be on real TV.
Hewy
Guest
At 24k, I'm pretty sure it's the highest attended November ODI in many years.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Hate to have to agree but Lordy is right in what could have been two terible captaincy errors. Ther non referral for the LBW was poor. They are playing on a bouncy Perth wicket not a low bounce Asian one. H eshould have reviewed. And starting with Coulter-Nile, this must have been a coach's decision to help on a fellow sand groper. Cummins, Stark and Hazelwood and he opts for C-N. Rubbish!
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Yeah it always helps to find out whether the particular person you're pushing at any one time actually wants the gig...
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Still higher than any crowd at the WACA in its current configuration...
G Knight
Guest
Is there some obligation for David to write an article every day? What do our past results in WC finals and overseas Ashes tours have to do with yesterdays match or current ODI problems? Surely this site values quality over quantity.
millazzzz
Guest
Oh good, another article from this bloke full of a bunch of incorrect information and random statistics with no bearing on the actual match that was played. I assume he is paid per word? Because he is taking the mickey surely.
Nick
Roar Guru
Give David some credit...for an old man he still has some incredible flexibility and agility to flip-flop like he did. He spent the best part of last week insisting Mark Taylor - as a former test cricketer - had to be the Chairman, to now suggesting that it's ok if a non-cricketer is the Chair.
interstater
Guest
They announced official attendance as about 24k yesterday. Still very disappointing.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
I missed David's 'Two Johns' article yesterday. Just read it now...oh dear... At least that was focused though (albeit bizarre), but this one is just a bunch of disconnected ramblings without a central point. I'm more concerned that the editor/s thought it worthy of publishing...do they just do that sight unseen?