And so, at long last, the tenth instalment of the Big Bash League has drawn to a close, with the Sydney Sixers rolling over the Perth Scorchers in the grand final.
The two most successful clubs of the competition’s first decade competing in the grand final was a fitting swansong to those ten years of Big Bash cricket.
From a small tournament run during the school holidays, the T20 domestic competition has come Cricket Australia’s golden goose, bringing new fans to the game, putting bums on seats and completely dominating Australia’s sporting landscape during the Christmas holiday period.
Or, at least, it was. It was there because nothing else was on, but with CA milking the tournament all the way into February over the last few years, that genuine interest has waned.
The general consensus for many cricket fans is that while they were glued to the TV for every ball of the enthralling India and Australia series, they would have been lucky to watch one or two Big Bash games in their entirety – and that tells you all you need to know.
Of course, some just don’t find T20 cricket as interesting as the battle of the five-day arena, but at the beginning of the Big Bash, many who said they weren’t a fan of the shortest format would watch every game.
Now, that’s not to say people aren’t tuning in. Overall TV ratings were up 1.4 per cent this season, but when you consider there were no crowds, and COVID restrictions hit various parts of the season around the country – leaving people locked up indoors without a whole lot else to do – that number is more for show than a good result.
CA need to realise the BBL’s true advantage was a short season where fans piled into grounds because they only got a few chances per season to see teams and star players go around, and watched on TV because it didn’t feel like the season was dragging on forever and a day.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Crowds obviously weren’t a factor this year, but in the season prior, with seven home games, punters would generally pick and choose rather than go to every single one.
The BBL doesn’t have tribalism and history attached to it, and therefore, fans are far more likely to be casual followers of their club or the competition in general than passionate followers, as you would find in Australia’s football codes during winter.
That being said, cutting the number of games per team, and in total, is imperative, while adding another two teams with scope to go for another four would give the BBL and CA scope to play more double-headers and compact the season even further, with teams able to rest while others are playing.
This would allow teams to first up play nine, and then up to 11 games without needing a full home-and-away season, which then detracts from fans going to all games like they may have at the start of the concept.
And while some may question the talent available to field more teams, the BBL did a far better job of bringing in international imports this season and would do even more so if the season was again shortened.
Andre Fletcher (Photo by Graham Denholm – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
Not only that, but it would actually improve the talent level across the board and the standard of the Australian team in all formats of the game, given a more balanced, less BBL-heavy summer. And, just quietly, Sheffield Shield cricket taking a prominent step into the limelight is exactly what Australia need right now.
But back to the BBL and there are plenty of options to expand.
Canberra is the most obvious option, a city without a local team (outside of basketball) during the summer. Manuka Oval has been filled for Sydney Thunder games before and the ACT, you would assume, would get behind their own BBL team like they do with the Canberra Raiders and Brumbies.
Not only that, but it would deliver a real home-game feel when they did host teams in Canberra.
Geelong is probably the other spot which gets a run in the first round of expansion, with an excellent stadium and fans in that region of the world wanting something to cheer that isn’t a Melbourne team wearing red or green.
Looking beyond the first round of expansion and it would be on CA to find areas that would get behind their own team. Give regions a run who don’t have franchises in national competitions, areas that would rally behind their own side.
While the Gold Coast is a sporting graveyard, CA could conceivably try that option, but a team in Townsville or Cairns, Coffs Harbour, or even Launceston – to create the Hobart-Launceston rivalry – would work well.
The only other area worth mentioning is Darwin and the Northern Territory, given they have no teams in national competitions, but trying to play cricket there during the December and January wet season would be foolish, so it’s probably off the table.
Regardless, the other options all have facilities ready to go and people who would support a local team.
It’s time for Cricket Australia to reinvigorate the Big Bash, fix the summer of cricket, and bring new areas of the country into the national cricketing limelight.
bryce
Guest
G'day Scott, helpful article mate. I agree with your sentiments on the need for an expansion. I was curious as to why you hadn't considered Newcastle as a key option? It's the 7th largest city in Australia with around 500,000 people (and a catchment closer to 750,000 people)... It's a sport loving city with two pro teams already... And it would create a great Newcastle-Sydney rivalry too. I guess the one thing you'd come back to me with is the lack of an existing cricket stadium.. But surely if they updated No.1 Oval with something similar to that in Ballarat's Mars Stadium, you could overcome that issue and get some solid crowds. Thoughts?
Johnny B
Roar Rookie
Hi Jeff. I really like your 8 team proposal above with a bare minimum of 8-10 matches completed before the first test of the summer. I have been screaming from the rooftops for a similiar arrangment. CA in my opinion, is deliberately or otherwise slowly suffocating our Sheffield Shield competition in order to keep the 'BBL golden goose' the number one domestic competition in the country at the expense of red ball 4-day cricket. Your above idea is exactly what is needed to maintain a pathway to our Test team otherwise we'll be selecting guys that average 26.00 but at a strike rate of 150.00.
Reddy
Roar Rookie
Why not have all 6 NZ teams included, everybody plays each other once. Then you will have international tribalism involved. Plenty of depth and no longer have New Zealand's super smash competition. Flights from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne are all short to NZ. Perth might be a little difficult. If all 6 NZ teams were included, nz cricket would definitely get rid of the super smash comp they would even rearrange the schedule of the ford trophy(domestic odis) to accommodate. I would love to see this happen.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Great idea - love it!
bowledover
Roar Rookie
The seasons needs to be shorter... there are tooo many games. That just needs to happen, but is unlikely I would guess with media deals having been locked in. If you want more teams, you need to allow for more international talent in the teams. I could see a canberra based or maybe an additional brissy team, but both? not sure. They also need to get rid of the silly x factor. Keep power surge.
AJ73
Roar Rookie
Would bring them into the BBL (North and South Islands) but not into the shield. Though they used to play in the domestic one-day competition
AJ73
Roar Rookie
Agree BBL should run from Boxing Day and the final on Australia Day at the absolute latest. Also agree with the second Victorian team being in Geelong - it should have been set up there in the first place. It would also have created a better rivalry and not have been manufactured.
PeteB
Roar Rookie
Nope can’t even get mildly interested in T20. Just feels way to manufactured for my liking. Do we care who wins or is just to count the number of sixes ?
Kevin
Roar Rookie
Don't add a third Melbourne team, just have one of the teams change their name to Geelong or Western Melbourne. Do the same with one of the Sydney teams, renaming them West Sydney to create more regional rivalries. I agree add a Canberra team, giving 9 teams. Play in 3 groups of 3 Brisbane, 2 x Sydney Canberra, Adelaide, Perth Melbourne x 2, Hobart Home and away in groups and home or away v rest 10 group matches each (down from 14) Group winners into play offs, highest ranked straight into final , 2nd and 3rd play off.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
I think you hit the nail on the head with your last comment. There's no room in the calendar for separate windows for BBL, BPL, CPL, PSL, the Hundred, Mzani Super League, Super Smash, LPL, etc., in addition to the IPL window. I think we just have to accept the IPL will get the best imports, and BBL needs to attract the best of the rest (i.e., more Alex Hales, James Vince, Rashid Khan, and less Jake Ball, Will Jacks, Andre Fletcher).
Tom
Couldn’t disagree any more, the local talent is already spread way too thin, you will just dilute it even more and end up with even more grade cricket quality players.
Beergardener
Roar Pro
Sure Scott. There are 2 teams each already from Sydney and Melbourne but another team from Brisbane doesn't even get mentioned. Based on population size and success of the Bulls this should happen if there is expansion. I'm pretty tired of Southeners considering Gold Coast to be just another suburb of Brisbane but even GC is a far bigger market (and less saturated with cricket) than Geelong
Popavalium Andropoff
Guest
You’re kidding yourself if you think a North Queensland based BBL team will work.
Jack
Guest
Oh nice I didn’t know This. Apparently 1 million school kids play it now in PNG
redbackfan
Roar Rookie
they played in the south Australian T20 comp against club teams for a few years, won it once or twice. pretty good team
Statler and Waldorf
Roar Guru
I like T20 but didn't watch anymore than 30 mins of maybe 25% of the games. Being on during the tests meant i was concentrating on the tests and not interested in seeing more cricket The whole comp was waaay to loooong and I couldn't bother getting interested in something that was going to drag on for ever. Definitely needs a shorter season
Jack
Guest
But out there but cricket is the second most popular sport in PNG. I am sure this is pie in the sky stuff but would be great to see them as the next Afghanistan could we find them a spot ?
Samuel Power
Roar Rookie
8 teams, 10 matches each, top 4 finals series and get rid of the bash boost point and the x-factor, power surge is fine.
Paul
Roar Guru
totally agree. Make the cricket summer two distinct halves. Red ball cricket pre 1st of January and white ball cricket in the New Year.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Getting imports is a key IMO. Problem is the "seasonal" nature of availability with most nations sharing our seasons, and England/West Indies often touring. This probably where the Full Members need to come together via the ICC and create "windows" for Tests, ODIs and T20s, so there is more coordination re player avaibality for both international series, and premier domestic comps. Then again, maybe there are simply too many nations, with too many separate series/comps, competing against each others' interests, in too small an available time window, to ever make it work.