View Full Version : 03-04
piefan2002
16 Apr 2003, 16:14
Perth to stage season opener, Sydney to host two Tests in season 2003-04
Perth will host the season opener, Sydney will stage two Tests and international
cricket will be played in October for the first time, the ACB announced today
with the release of the 2003-04 international cricket program.
The fixture, which reverts back to the preferred blocked Test and one-day
international format, sees Zimbabwe arrive on Australian shores in October for
the two-match 3 Test Series and India compete in December and January’s
four-match 3 Test Series.
The VB Series between Australia, India and Zimbabwe begins on 9 January 2004 at
the Melbourne Cricket Ground and finishes with the third final, if needed, at
the Gabba in Brisbane on 10 February 2004.
No international cricket will be played in Australia in November, with Australia
expected to take part in a tri-angular one-day international series in India.
The Australia A program has been reduced to one three-day match, against India
in Hobart in December, and two limited-over games against Zimbabwe in Perth and
Adelaide in January.
A date for the Allan Border Medal has not been confirmed at this stage.
The Australian domestic season schedule, including the Pura Cup, ING Cup and
other tour matches is expected to be released within the next two weeks. The
Australian women’s cricket schedule is expected to be confirmed within a month.
Season program (at 16 April 2003)
3 Test Series – Australia v Zimbabwe
October 9 – 13, First 3 Test Australia v Zimbabwe, Perth
October 17 – 21, Second 3 Test Australia v Zimbabwe, Sydney
3 Test Series – Australia v India
December 4 – 8, First 3 Test Australia v India, Brisbane
December 12 – 16, Second 3 Test Australia v India, Adelaide
December 26 – 30, Third 3 Test Australia v India, Melbourne
January 2 – 6, Fourth 3 Test Australia v India, Sydney
VB Series – Australia, Zimbabwe, India
January 9, First ODI Australia v India (D/N), Melbourne
January 11, Second ODI Australia v Zimbabwe (D/N), Sydney
January 14, Third ODI India v Zimbabwe, Hobart
January 16, Fourth ODI Australia v Zimbabwe, Hobart
January 18, Fifth ODI Australia v India (D/N), Brisbane
January 20, Sixth ODI India v Zimbabwe (D/N), Brisbane
January 22, Seventh ODI Australia v India (D/N), Sydney
January 24, Eighth ODI India v Zimbabwe (D/N), Adelaide
January 26, Ninth ODI Australia v Zimbabwe (D/N), Adelaide
January 29, Tenth ODI Australia v Zimbabwe (D/N), Melbourne
February 1, Eleventh ODI Australia v India, Perth
February 3, Twelfth ODI India v Zimbabwe (D/N), Perth
February 6, First Final (D/N), Melbourne
February 8, Second Final (D/N), Sydney
February 10, Third Final (D/N), if required, Brisbane
Other matches
October 1, Zimbabwe v Chairman’s XI, Perth
October 3 – 5, Zimbabwe v Western Australia, Perth
November 27 – 29, India v Victoria, Melbourne
December 1, India v PM’s XI, Canberra
December 19 – 21, India v Australia A, Hobart
January 1, Zimbabwe v Australia A, Perth
January 4, Zimbabwe v Western Australia (D/N), Perth
January 7, Zimbabwe v Australia A (D/N), Adelaide
NOTE: The ACB reserves the right, in its absolute discretion, to change or amend
the official 2003-04 program without notice.
For more information, visit baggygreen.com.au.
I'm happy with two Tests in Sydney. :) But the TCA must be spewing with Bellerive not getting a Test in a summer of six Tests. I see it's been made up for a little by Hobart getting two ODIs for the first time ever (and Sydney only getting two).
Originally posted by piefan2002
Zimbabwe arrive on Australian shores in October for the two-match 3 Test Series and India compete in December and January’s four-match 3 Test Series.
Did anyone else do a double take reading this? Why on earth did Orange change their name to a stupid numeral? What sort of a company name is "3"?
piefan2002
16 Apr 2003, 17:58
Same sponser who sponsers Essendon.
So we get that ugly '3' logo on the ground and uniforms, like Essendon
CharlieG
16 Apr 2003, 18:28
Originally posted by DaveW
I'm happy with two Tests in Sydney. :) But the TCA must be spewing with Bellerive not getting a Test in a summer of six Tests. I see it's been made up for a little by Hobart getting two ODIs for the first time ever (and Sydney only getting two).
Did anyone else do a double take reading this? Why on earth did Orange change their name to a stupid numeral? What sort of a company name is "3"?
It had me completely befuddled until I worked out that it was the sponsor.
Grr... remember when the Aussies were the Aussies, rather than the Travelex Test Team or whatever it is they call it now?
St-KriS
16 Apr 2003, 18:49
Why on earth are they skipping Bellerive?! :confused: I thought the ACB were going to try to play more matches there, not less. Maybe that time during the past season where a match was cancelled because of the state of the pitch there at Bellerive has come back to haunt them?
evfenton78
16 Apr 2003, 19:08
The reason Hobart misses out on a Test is because Zimbabwe play two tests in early October. There is little chance of getting a decent wicket prepared in Tassie for October and then you need five good days of weather.
Hobart wouldn't get a Test against Inida in December ahead of SCG, MCG, Adelaide or Brisbane because the numbers just don't make sence to hold in in Hobart.
Originally posted by DaveW
Did anyone else do a double take reading this? Why on earth did Orange change their name to a stupid numeral? What sort of a company name is "3"?
It took me a while to work it out, and realise that "3" must be the sponsor. I was just about to ask who the hell is "3", but it turns out apparently it's Orange (and I was never 100% sure exactly what it is they do).
What's Gilly going to do with his gloves now? Cut off a finger from each? :D
St-KriS
16 Apr 2003, 19:28
Bah...I hate seeing that No.3 on the bombers jumper and now I'm gunna see it on the bloody test teams shirts. :mad:
EagleBlue
16 Apr 2003, 23:00
Why the hell are the Aussies going to India for a meaningless ODI series in November. Cant understand that, 2 tests at home then fly to India for some one day games, then fly back home for 4 tests.
wagstaff
17 Apr 2003, 00:25
Originally posted by EagleBlue
Why the hell are the Aussies going to India for a meaningless ODI series in November. Cant understand that, 2 tests at home then fly to India for some one day games, then fly back home for 4 tests.
It was probably a negotiated deal between the boards of the two countries that India's cricketers would only travel to Australia on the proviso that they play meaningless one-dayers in India in a tournament that everybody will forget about a month later.
In a word: money.
The Hippie
17 Apr 2003, 01:05
Originally posted by DaveW
Did anyone else do a double take reading this? Why on earth did Orange change their name to a stupid numeral? What sort of a company name is "3"?
Poor old Richie (or whoever does the into's these days). Can just see him now, "Ah, welcome to this, the Fourth Test of the '3' Test series." WTF???
Double takes from the audience all round. :D
Goldenblue
17 Apr 2003, 01:45
Originally posted by scmods
What's Gilly going to do with his gloves now? Cut off a finger from each? :D
hahaha!!
:D
Love it!!
raiderman00
17 Apr 2003, 12:51
Feel sorry for the Tassies.
goaldrush
17 Apr 2003, 13:22
Essendon also have 3 as their sponsor.
MeThinks Orange have gone under
Kenny_01
17 Apr 2003, 13:29
Yeah the "3" had me confused as well.. only worked it out when I saw the actual schedule.
GoEagles
17 Apr 2003, 17:01
Will people be interested in cricket straight after the football season? To me we needed to stage the test matches in November and use October for the one day series in India (and also use the ING Cup games to wet everyones lips in Australia)
Is it me or does Melbourne seem dudded in the One Day Internationals? Don't they normally get 3 games + the 1st final, I noticed only 2 games + 1st final were scheduled... could it be due to the publicised crowd trouble at the MCG?
Good to see Perth got an Australia A fixture on the 1st January - should get a good crowd.
Black Thunder
18 Apr 2003, 02:13
I'd take 2 tests and 2 one dayers any time over 1 test and 50 one dayers.
One dayers are a boring spectacle.
Can't wait to Sachin back out here again.
That whole 3 Test series crap is going to be so confusing. I looked at that and had no idea.
BTW, when is the Bangladesh test series in Cairns and Darwin?? Its around august/september isn't it??
Originally posted by GoEagles
Is it me or does Melbourne seem dudded in the One Day Internationals? Don't they normally get 3 games + the 1st final, I noticed only 2 games + 1st final were scheduled... could it be due to the publicised crowd trouble at the MCG?
Not quite. Sydney and Melbourne used to get one of 3 prelim games + 1st final or 2 prelims games + 2nd & 3rd final. That would alternate each season. Then last season the 3rd final was given to Adelaide and Melbourne were just left with 2 prelim games + 2nd final. For Melbourne next season will be the same as last season.
The only are changes are Sydney losing a prelim game to Hobart (but gaining a test! :p) and Brisbane getting Adelaide's 3rd final.
Originally posted by Black Thunder
BTW, when is the Bangladesh test series in Cairns and Darwin?? Its around august/september isn't it??
Back to back tests in the second half of July.
Originally posted by goaldrush
Essendon also have 3 as their sponsor.
MeThinks Orange have gone under
Ah no. Orange is still around, both are owned by Hutchinson Telecom. 3 is just there more advanced mobile phones, the ones with the video, etc.
Bomber Spirit
18 Apr 2003, 16:31
Having Tests in early October will be really weird. I doubt there'd have been any Shield games before the Tests start.
But 2 Tests in Sydney is great (but expensive) news for me.:) I doubt the October one will be particularly well attended (although it'll be bigger than they would have got in Hobart), but the 2 month gap between the 2 Test serieses will leave a huge break. November's going to be very quiet.
We'll have to pray for good weather in Perth for early October. That time of year, it could be fantastic or it could be bloody awful. Or a bit of both over the five days!
I have to wonder about the ACB and the basis for their decision making. Hobart have hosted and hosted successfully tests previously and rightly deserve a test if their is a 6th Test during the Australian summer. Hobart averages similar crowds to Perth when most countries and it just makes me wonder especially considering that the next Australian captain will be a Tasmanian.
I think it could just be that the ACB believe it could be to cold for them to take their wives for a holiday weekend. :p
dr nick
20 Apr 2003, 19:26
Originally posted by Slax
I have to wonder about the ACB and the basis for their decision making. Hobart have hosted and hosted successfully tests previously and rightly deserve a test if their is a 6th Test during the Australian summer. Hobart averages similar crowds to Perth when most countries and it just makes me wonder especially considering that the next Australian captain will be a Tasmanian.
I think it could just be that the ACB believe it could be to cold for them to take their wives for a holiday weekend. :p
i disagree. the crowds that turn up to bellerieve are a disgrace. they obviously do not follow their cricket as much as the other capital cities. to get such a sub 5000 crowds on day 1 of a test is a slap in the face i dont care what the population is, you'd get better crowds if they were held in Orange. far better to give test matches to audiences that appreciate them.
as for perth having similar crowds, IMO perth is heading the same way as bellerieve. im sure their crowds have dropped over previous years and if the perth public do not get behind test cricket then they don't deserve to have that test in preference to sydney or melbourne. having said that Perth's crowds are nowhere near as pitterful as Hobart's.
i said it about 5 years ago there will be a time where a five test series is played at brisbane, adelaide, melbourne, sydney, and the 5th one alternates between either melbourne or sydney. a 6 test series could see melbourne and sydney host 2 tests. the compromise could be to move one day games to the smaller cities, who seem to be into their pyjama cricket moreso.
another alternative would be to rotate the 5th or 6th test between Darwin, Perth, Canberra and Hobart.
dr nick
20 Apr 2003, 19:35
Bellerive:
2001-02 v NZ
Day 1 4429
Day 2 3663
Day 3 3306
Day 4 2837
1999-00 v Pak
Day 1 3447
Day 2 4206
1997-98 v NZ
Day 1 2150
Day 2 3055
Day 3 3665
Day 4 2592
Day 5 934
WACA:
2001-02 v NZ
Day 1 12731
Day 2 8850
Day 3 10061
Day 4 4053
Day 5 4836
and so on..... so it appears perth averages are better than i thought. Hobart crowds are ridiculous.
Originally posted by nicko18
IMO perth is heading the same way as bellerieve. im sure their crowds have dropped over previous years
That certainly explains why I couldn't even get in this year...
If you look at aggregate, Perth looks bad in recent years but that's because so many of our Tests have been three day affairs. NZ is the only one I can remember going the distance in the last decade.
dr nick
21 Apr 2003, 23:37
Originally posted by scmods
That certainly explains why I couldn't even get in this year...
If you look at aggregate, Perth looks bad in recent years but that's because so many of our Tests have been three day affairs. NZ is the only one I can remember going the distance in the last decade.
i'm talking about day figures, not test aggregates. and i said that perth crowds were better than i thought (if you call 12,000 good). the reason you couldnt get in was not because the ground was jam packed, there were problems with the gates.
'3' refers to the new 3G mobile phone network that has just been rolled out.
Like Lethal said, all the video stuff will be on the 3G network. Orange is still around, they are owned by Hutchison Telecoms, of whom 3 is a brand.
Hobart has bad numbers, so they shouldn't get a test.
I don't see why Sydney should get 2 tests ahead of Melbourne though - Melbournes numbers have always been better. Sydney only get sellouts because they hardly have any seats to fill.
GoEagles
22 Apr 2003, 18:40
Originally posted by nicko18
as for perth having similar crowds, IMO perth is heading the same way as bellerieve. im sure their crowds have dropped over previous years and if the perth public do not get behind test cricket then they don't deserve to have that test in preference to sydney or melbourne. having said that Perth's crowds are nowhere near as pitterful as Hobart's.
The last Ashes test in Perth was a total sell-out for the 3 days the test was played for. The year before that they sold out the first 2 days play dispute many patrons missing Glen McGraths hat-trick because of ticketing problems at the Barry Shephard gates.
Originally posted by nicko18
i'm talking about day figures, not test aggregates. and i said that perth crowds were better than i thought (if you call 12,000 good). the reason you couldnt get in was not because the ground was jam packed, there were problems with the gates.
I couldn't get in because I didn't pre-buy a ticket. Had I done that I would have got in eventually.
And 12,000 isn't a bad crowd for a place the size of Perth.
The thing I can't work out is what they did with the ground renovations last year. They removed seated areas, returning them to the old grass banks, and made the playing area slightly smaller. Somehow, this reduced the ground capacity from 30,000+ to about 20,000. How does that work?
Originally posted by nicko18
as for perth having similar crowds, IMO perth is heading the same way as bellerieve. im sure their crowds have dropped over previous years and if the perth public do not get behind test cricket then they don't deserve to have that test in preference to sydney or melbourne. having said that Perth's crowds are nowhere near as pitterful as Hobart's.
Send us one of the interesting test matches, and we turn out in force in Perth (ie the Ashes). Most years we get whatever rump test match Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide don't want. Play Zimbabwe in Melbourne on Boxing Day and you'll probably find the numbers are half the normal as well.
And put it back to November at least. A test in the first half of October is hardly waiting for the cricket season to get going - that certainly won't help the crowds either who'll half still be in football mode.
Originally posted by nicko18
i said it about 5 years ago there will be a time where a five test series is played at brisbane, adelaide, melbourne, sydney, and the 5th one alternates between either melbourne or sydney. a 6 test series could see melbourne and sydney host 2 tests. the compromise could be to move one day games to the smaller cities, who seem to be into their pyjama cricket moreso.
Perth is nearly 400,000 people larger population wise than Adelaide and nearly comparable to Brisbane. Hardly a "smaller" city. Inertia has kept the good games going to Adelaide rather than Perth and Brisbane.
Originally posted by nicko18
another alternative would be to rotate the 5th or 6th test between Darwin, Perth, Canberra and Hobart.
Yeah, that's a really good suggestion.....
dr nick
24 Apr 2003, 00:26
Originally posted by Mr Q
Yeah, that's a really good suggestion.....
as opposed to sticking with sub 3000 crowds in hobart?? i would think so.
Originally posted by nicko18
as opposed to sticking with sub 3000 crowds in hobart?? i would think so.
Go and read my post - it never mentioned Hobart.... I'm talking about your advocating removal of Test Cricket from Perth.
dr nick
24 Apr 2003, 13:36
Originally posted by Mr Q
Go and read my post - it never mentioned Hobart.... I'm talking about your advocating removal of Test Cricket from Perth.
FOR THE RECORD: about face!! perth should hold test matches. there was a period in the late 90's where i initially developed my impression that perth wasnt interested in tests. thankfully theyve turned up in recent years
Still Crowing
28 Apr 2003, 21:47
Originally posted by Mr Q
<snipped>
Perth is nearly 400,000 people larger population wise than Adelaide and nearly comparable to Brisbane. Hardly a "smaller" city. Inertia has kept the good games going to Adelaide rather than Perth and Brisbane.
<snipped>
Adelaide people, after having their Australia Day test taken away (apparently, tradition only counts if it's Boxing or New Years Day), have responded brilliantly in the last 3 years with great crowds in an attempt to ensure the ACB doesn't have an excuse to screw us again. One of the reasons the redevelopment of the Adelaide Oval is going ahead is to try to head off at the pass the attempts by Brisbane to acquire more games at the 'gabba. One cannot rely on commentators overusing the word 'picturesque' to ensure we keep a minimum of 1 test match and 2 ODI's.
Cheers,
Kasey
clucas91
29 Apr 2003, 12:33
The Gabba is a very underrated venue, we should get more up here than we do, our 1 test is fine, but wouldn't mind at least one more LOI, nice to see the 3rd final (which is rarely required) here though.
Originally posted by clucas91
The Gabba is a very underrated venue, we should get more up here than we do, our 1 test is fine, but wouldn't mind at least one more LOI, nice to see the 3rd final (which is rarely required) here though. The Gabba gets as many ODIs as any venue this season.
Originally posted by DaveW
The Gabba gets as many ODIs as any venue this season.
Sydney and Melbourne get three each (2 in the normal series + 1 final each). Brisbane gets two and only a third if the third final is required.