A meagre crowd trickled into the MCG to watch the final ODI of Australia’s three-match series against England, taking the gloss of magnificent hundreds by Travis Head and David Warner.
Head and Warner powered Australia to 5-355 against England after putting on the second-highest partnership in the nation’s ODI history and the tourists surrendered in reply to be all out for 142.
Australia’s prolific pair added 269 for the opening wicket as they smashed England’s tired attack to all parts of the MCG on Tuesday.
The atmosphere was only marginally better than a Sheffield Shield game with just 10,406 spectators littered throughout the grandstands of the cavernous stadium which can seat 100,000 fans when full.
The lowest attendance for an ODI at the MCG involving Australia was in 1979 when 12,077 turned up to watch the hosts against England.
When the Australians beat England in the series opener on Thursday, there was only 15,420 in attendance at the Adelaide Oval and there was a slight uptick to 16,993 at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday night.
Only three ODIs have previously been held at the MCG in November, with an average attendance for those matches just 17,993.
When ODIs at the MCG are played in December, January and February, the average crowd number rises above 40,000.
It is a dramatic drop-off from the recent Twenty20 World Cup, with 80,462 people turning out to watch England win the final against Pakistan at the MCG just nine days ago.
Rain briefly stopped play during the innings with the match reduced to 48-overs a side in front of a minuscule crowd inside Australia’s biggest stadium.
Head hit 152 from 130 balls to bring up his third ODI ton and highest score in the format, making England pay for dropping him when he was on just four.
The South Australian left-hander also successfully reviewed an LBW decision after being given out in just the third over.
Warner finally ended an international century drought dating back to January 2020, blasting 106 for his 19th ODI hundred.
The pair, who only reunited at the top of the order for this series after Aaron Finch’s ODI retirement last month, fell 15 runs short of breaking their own record for Australia’s highest ODI partnership.
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Warner and Head put on 284 together as Australia smashed Pakistan at Adelaide Oval in January 2017.
In just 13 innings, Warner and Head have scored 1075 runs as an ODI partnership at an average of 89.58.
After the openers were both dismissed in the 39th over, powerful allrounder Mitchell Marsh (30) and in-form star Steve Smith (21) continued on the good work with quick-fire knocks.
(Photo by Graham Denholm – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
Australia completed the 3-0 series swweep after comfortably winning games in Adelaide and Sydney, taking down the under-strength reigning ODI and T20 World Cup champions.
England’s run-chase got off to a poor start when Dawid Malan departed for two and they were never in the hunt, slumping from 1-57 to be 7-95 which could have been worse if not for a dropped return catch from Adam Zampa which would have given him three wickets in an over.
The leg-spinner finished with 4-31 to claim a remarkable haul of 11 wickets for the series while Sean Abbott (-245) and Pat Cummins (2-25) were also among the wickets.
After resting from Saturday’s game, Cummins returned to captain Australia following fellow fast bowler Josh Hazlewood’s surprise elevation to skipper for that match.
Mitchell Starc has stayed home to rest in Sydney ahead of a busy Test summer as all-rounder Sean Abbott makes his first appearance of the series.
England made two changes, with Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali making way and Buttler coming back in after resting on Saturday.
Ali was reinstated midway through the Australian innings when Phil Salt was ruled out for the rest of the match under the concussion protocols after hitting his head while trying to save a boundary.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
You speak on behalf of a partially cricket interested minority. What you propose is an off-cut of cricket not the game cricket fans love.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Half the price. Half the wait time. Quality as good if not better.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Really? Sweet Lips?
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Well, if the Seagulls themselves have any class re taste, them Kaillis should get the better class of seagull. But of course, the most savvy of seagulls head around to Sweet Lips.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Who gets the better class of seagull; Cicerello's or Kaillis?
Jeff
Roar Rookie
"Seagulls and chips isn’t a sport." Oh, it's definitely a sport on the outdoor tables around Fishing Boat Harbour. Man v Birds. Very Hitchcockian.
Peter
Roar Rookie
I agree with you Diamond except for one thing. I didn't witness it. I can't be bothered wasting my time. The authorities have cannibalised cricket. My local university (It's in the top five university's in the country) once had a village green. It had the traditional white picket fence and it looked a picture. The cricket oval was at the heart of the campus. It has been replaced by artificial soccer pitches. That tells us something about the waining support for the game or should I call it for what it has increasingly become, the product in Australia.
JAMES G HASLAM
Guest
A few will watch any cricket involving Aus & GB, but ODI is done and dusted (except for the world cup). Kerry Packer saved cricket, and now the IPL is really advancing it. We must join in with the times.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Lol
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Hi HR. I haven’t been to the MCG (I’m slowly ticking off grounds), but I’ve witnessed heaps of times security moving on people from seats, trying to get a less crowded area or out of the sun. Not seats to fancier areas either. Just different seats areas.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
But! What will C.A. take from this? Not sure if it me be a negative sad sack or anything real, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it swept under the carpet and that when the ‘rights’ come back up it remains behind the wall.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
But they suffer from severe gridlock.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I've found "Sky News: After Dark" the most unhinged TV in Australia. The Project, by comparison, are amateurs.
Peter Darrow
Roar Guru
Tim It is strange that the only people who do not understand "go woke, go broke" or "wokeism" are the ones inflicting it, the left.
G money
Roar Rookie
both codes unfortunately
G money
Roar Rookie
Afl has 10 x the viewers of women's soccer. fact
G money
Roar Rookie
Most sports have gone woke. I have all commentary on mute until play begins.. lewt I be lampooned for causing all the worlds problems. Half the time they spout virtue during play! .. tv off lol
Mark Baptist
Guest
That's fair enough - since it is only an Australian competition (for the forseeable future at least), the AFLW can be left off that list.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
The media has an insatiable demand for the product because the public has an insatiable demand for the product. That's because cricket is popular with cricket fans. Those who want 15 minute pop-games are never the target audience. Cricket has enough fans.
Peter
Roar Rookie
Evidently, it is too much cricket for the Australian market, not that that has a bearing on this ridiculous scheduling. For that, look to India and the media’s insatiable demand for product in that country. Even the broadcast of inconsequential World Cup warm up games hides behind a tissue of pretence. When are the Indian Cricket Board going to schedule a series of warm down World cup games as well on a similarly tenuous basis. These games are not important. Of course they are not important, unless, like Star TV there is a dollar to make, or you are a player or an official and you have a living to earn . For the general punter however, unless you are a 5 years old and or you are so short sighted that you can’t see it for what it is, a money grab. Then of course these games are a waste of time. They are most definitely a waste of mine.