There’s a massive difference between this and last season’s BBL – yet there will be more games and far more coverage.
That doesn’t make sense, until the reasons surface.
The pitches are poor, the majority of batsmen are not taking advantage of persistent half-track rubbish bowling, there are rumbles of senior players ditching the BBL for the more lucrative T20 tournaments overseas, while crowds and television ratings are down.
And right in the middle of all those negatives is the lower standard of television commentary.
Last season, Channel Ten’s coverage of the Big Bash had Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting and Mark Waugh – legends of the game using their vast cricket nous and experience, their sense of humour and their reminiscing to great effect.
They lifted every game they covered.
Then came the big upheaval as the Foxtel-Channel Seven combination surfaced.
In the split, Gilchrist and Waugh signed with Foxtel, Seven pinched Ponting, and a cast of thousands emerged to fill the vacant commentary spots on two stations.
Quantity, not quality.
As a result, the overall standard of commentary has been boring, with far too many first-timers thrown in the deep end.
And when they couldn’t lift games suffering from poor pitches, bad bowling and fewer crowds, little wonder BBL08 has taken a nosedive in ratings as well.
There are always exceptions to every rule and two recent games proved that all is not lost.
Take the Hurricanes-Heat clash, which Hobart won by nine wickets and 34 deliveries up their sleeve, or the Sixers-Strikers clash, which the Sydney side won by eight wickets, with 35 balls remaining.
Both winners chased.
The Heat finished on 145 thanks to excellent line-and-length bowling from James Faulkner (2-27), David Moody (2-27) and Jofra Archer’s 2-28.
Then, against an attack that was all over the shop, D’Arcy Short clubbed 68* off 41, with eight fours and a six, while Caleb Jewell’s 61* came off 35.
(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
At the SCG last night, the Strikers finished on 8-124 thanks to career-best figures of 3-7 off four from left-arm paceman Ben Dwarshuis. The spell included 18 dot balls of line and length that coughed up only three fours in dismissing three of the opposition’s top five.
Despite losing 2-24 in the chase, opener Daniel Hughes and skipper Moises Henriques saw the men in magenta home with a 100-run partnership off just 66.
Hughes posted 51* off 44 with eight fours, while Henriques cracked 61* off 31 with five fours and four sixes.
So the proof is still there that when bowlers stick to line and length, and batsmen belt rubbish on a decent track, the tournament can be alive and well.
The stats prove that, with Renegade Kane Richardson the leading wicket-taker on 19, from Hurricane Faulkner on 18.
Short is well and truly showing the way with the bat on 541, while opening partner Matt Wade is next on 399.
If the Hurricanes and the Sixers can make it to the decider with their positive attitudes, a struggling BBL08 could yet finish on a high.
anon
Roar Pro
Channel 9 covered domestic ODD throughout the summer for 30 years. Had a smattering of people in the crowd. BBL attendance dwarf those of ODD and Shield cricket. You're all over the place today with your comments.
Simoc
Guest
The major problem with the BBC is that the games have generally been of poor quality and mostly hopelessly one-sided which is the opposite of what we're used to. And poor T20 commentary doesn't help. It lacks continuity as some games have gone pay TV only so we don't get it everyday. I think Channel 7 have failed miserably and the interest can only wane after this weak effort. I blame it on the under performed and thankfully gone James Sutherland. Hopefully the new guy will sort things out by next season. But don't hold your breath. It's apparent all batsmen have been pretty thorougly analysed and are being targeted skilfully and not coping. On the other hand Callum Ferguson played one of the best T20 innings ever the other day so that made all the other dross not so bad. There are still gems to be found.
anon
Roar Pro
BBL ratings have fallen off a cliff. So people attend games in 162 match baseball seasons because they have worse kitchens than in Australia? What are you talking about?
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Different country, different population, different concentration span, different taste...different game. Australia does sport better than USA...mainly because we have better sport to watch. Cricket and AFL are the 2 best sports in the world. Anyone who argues that what is done in another country is relevant has no argument at all...at least no argument relevant to Australians. I think you'll find that the TV coverage keeps people at home on a balmy summer's night. We have better houses. We even have kitchens in Oz.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
They've tried what? What didn't work? Nevertheless, that is not the comment. This is what I said. "What I do mind is stopping a cricket season while the circus comes to town. Summer is for Shield cricket and ODD." What THEY do has no impact on what I do or don't mind.
Paul D
Roar Guru
I think part of the problem is 20/20 cricket gets a little 'samey' after a while - by that I mean, there's not much room for a narrative to unfold, and if a team has a bad couple of overs, that usually puts a line through them winning - barring a stadium lighting blackout. Agreed that the competition is far too long. It should commence the week before Christmas, and aim to conclude no later than the end of January. I think also the nights where there has been no BBL cricket on FTA on Friday or Saturday nights has been damaging - Foxtel money is seriously a poisoned chalice. Will be very interested to see how CA react to this next year when planning things out. I think it's a forlorn hope that they will reduce the schedule - they'll just blab on about letting things settle, adjustments etc and keep flogging that dead horse.
anon
Roar Pro
The point (you often miss the point) is that there are people in this world willing to follow a 162 game baseball season. Closer to home, people are prepared to attend and follow matches in a 22 game AFL season despite being played in the middle of winter. If you can't get people off their couches on balmy summer nights to attend one of 7 home games then something is wrong with the product.
anon
Roar Pro
They've tried it. Didn't work. If people aren't engaged with 3 hour games they aren't going to follow an 8 hour or 4-day match. People have no interest in ODI cricket, they won't sit thought ODD.
Rellum
Roar Guru
I think a lot of people think the cricket season starts with the first international game.
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
Yes fully agree ....... plus there's another good reason why T20 is a dog with fleas imo. That is cause there are playing T20 cricket :)
Jim
Roar Rookie
Comments like this are disrespectful imho. People like different types of cricket for different reasons. But that does not make any of them wrong. What is clear is that, cricket could easily end up only being T20 in a generation or two, and that would be to many a very, very sad state of affairs. There is something grand about the Test Match arena, especially when two quality sides take each other on.
Junior Coach
Guest
The golden goose is dead, cricket should be a contest between bat and ball .BBL and T20 in general is just a slog athon which after youve seen it once , youve seen it a million times. People want a sport that is evenly matched (and that includes between bat and ball), they might as well stick a bowling machine at one end and go the tonk. And the parallels between T20 and baseball are false as well, runs are a rare commodity in a Major League game and are hard fought for, In T20 its just free the arms and go bang- its boring - full stop.
Actual cricket fan
Guest
Went to the Junction for a few one dayers to see the Vics in Sept and Oct and there were probably 5,000 or so there a few times. Also popped in to a shield game at the MCG in November and there was probably a 1000 or so there. To use the soccer supporter excuse, if they promoted Shield it would get more. Thanks A-League fans for that excuse.
Yobbo
Guest
Have noticed over the course of the past 20 years that EVERYTHING Sutherland the ex boss of cricket touched has been degraded and run into the ground. Remember the BBL was originally based on the old 6 state teams, then, bizarrely they chose to use the Indian franchise model of brand new teams, but without the STAR drawing players they get. A lot of the players in BBL are usually just club cricketers. Good for them, but usually Joe Public can see them in action for FREE on park grounds across the country. Any of us who have been around for a few decades saw the BBL all before. It happened in the late 70s and up to the 80s with one day state cricket. The McDonald's Cup. Big difference was they had all the international players involved. A little lesson for the authorities there. The BBL will stumble along and end up exactly like the state comps. We who ignore the past are doomed to repear it. But people like Sutherland don't give a toss because he got his fat bonus and will now have board positions in institutions that love management speak.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
"Because baseball..." That is so anon. They are not the same game.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Please! Less international players.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Silly boy. Read the comment.
anon
Roar Pro
Less than 50 people turn up to Shield games. Even with crowds being down we get 15,000 to BBL games. Turn it up...
anon
Roar Pro
To me batsmen batting for themselves and not based on game situation. Most players would rather score 45 off 55 and lose than 30 off 20 and win. Conservative middle over batting is what killed ODIs. No real stars in the league. The first iterations were loaded with stars. I was all for expanding the number of games, but it feels like the quality of the games has dropped off. I don't think the number of games is an issue because baseball has 162 games in a season.
David Lord
Expert
JA, appreciate your Macquarie warning.