Australian public vote with their feet on 50 over cricket

[Gavin Excell]

14,000 at the MCG to see Australia v South Africa on a lovely Friday night in Melbourne.

This continues the last few seasons of poor attendances for one day cricket.

Its made even more stark when you think there are in a calendar year so few of these matches scheduled.

14,000 is death stuff.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

This summer, because of the World Cup, we have only 20 days of Test Cricket, and 72 days of limited over cricket. If that's not reaching saturation point, I don't know what is.

Why would people attend last night's game knowing how unimportant the result was in the overall scheme of things this summer? I have a mate who works in the Melbourne CBD, walked down to the ground after work. He'd already missed half the game. When they told him how much he had to pay to get in to see half a game, he went out to dinner instead.

 

[Cleavy]

cricket as a product is overexposed.

 

[MisterMarcus]

Charging the best part of $100 for a ticket, if those claims were true, is probably the reason.....

 

[ManWithNoName]

Cheapest tickets yesterday were $35. At a stadium the size of the MCG.

Cheapest tickets on Sunday are $50. CHEAPEST. Have a guess why nobody will go.

 

[ManWithNoName]

50 over cricket is still vastly superior to T20 cricket.

 

[damochandler]

they voted with their feet with the t20 internationals as well. not great crowds to that either

 

[damochandler]

it's the fact that it's november and everyone is still in work and school and no one really cares about cricket at the moment to go with the fact tickets aren't cheap. that's why we have small crowds.

the product is fine as we saw last night and there has been some quality cricket this series

 

[Gavin Excell]

it's the fact that it's november and everyone is still in work and school and no one really cares about cricket at the moment to go with the fact tickets aren't cheap. that's why we have small crowds.

the product is fine as we saw last night and there has been some quality cricket this series

Don't really think the scheduling Friday night the issue. Same night Melb Victory get 25K. Unsure what it costs in comparison

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

cricket as a product is overexposed.

This summer this is particularly true. Attendance for most people is a once or twice a summer thing. With a full tri-series and a World Cup to come, its hard to get motivation to even watch thise series on TV - much less pay big money to attend practice matches with no consequence in the result.

 

[Marstermind]

Cricket needs a run up to get started. Beginning the international calendar on the Wednesday between Cup Day and Oaks Day or even earlier (vs Zimabwe 2003, vs ICC World XI, 2005) is stupid has been tried and failed before. And even with 2 weeks of lead-up and promo after the Spring Carnival, there needs to be a big event to start off (ie - a Test against an established opponent.) People are at work, people are busy, people are saving for Xmas etc...they aren't going to go out of their way and their budget to watch meaningless 50-over games against anyone.

The teams themselves don't help. The series has actually been pretty good so far but there were 8 changes from Canberra to last night. The selectors are telling us "These are practice matches so we can find out what our best team is." Why is anyone from the MCC of CA even pretending to be surprised about the pathetic crowds? These matches are the cricket equivalent of NAB Challenge games. It's hard to imagine why a decent crowd would be expected.

And finally, the 50-over game, regardless of whether it's better than T20 or not, is in cricket purgatory. Over saturated with meaningless tournaments it's neither a novelty or traditional. From the public's point of view, why does this series with South Africa exist? (Warm ups for the World Cup still 3 months away?)Why is there a month of more ODI's before the World Cup starts? (Probably to fill in time whilst the other countries fill their home commitments before arriving)

 

[Bucking Beads]

I think there are a lot of factors that are contributing to the lack of spectators at the cricket. This time of year is pretty full on for families. The cost is growing every year. People are tightening their belt every year. It is free to watch on tv. The beer and food is extremely expensive. ODI cricket is a long day to take kids.

 

[Kangapirate]

Don't really think the scheduling Friday night the issue. Same night Melb Victory get 25K. Unsure what it costs in comparison

The soccer starts at 7.45 and you know you will be out of the stadium at 9.30...when the cricket started all of melbourne was either at work or school, the ticket prices are gonna scare people off from turning up to watch half a game. People are interested which is shown by the tv ratings that smashed the soccer even the number of viewers in melbourne was enormous but they have to sort out scheduling/ ticket pricing.

The reality is the big bash is probably the biggest draw card of any form of limited overs cricket in this country now.

 

[Torz]

What were the viewing figures on TV?

 

[Kangapirate]

What were the viewing figures on TV?

958,000
Soccer had 109,000 on sbs.

 

[The Passenger]

Stunning crowd. I think everyone knew it was going to be low but 14,000 was not anticipated at all.

Is that the lowest ever ODI crowd at the MCG? (For an Australian game, I'm assuming there have not been many - if any - non-Australia ODI's there)

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Stunning crowd. I think everyone knew it was going to be low but 14,000 was not anticipated at all.

Is that the lowest ever ODI crowd at the MCG? (For an Australian game, I'm assuming there have not been many - if any - non-Australia ODI's there)

I think I read somewhere it is the second lowest in Melbourne for a LOI involving Australia. The lowest being in 1979 v England, but I don't have anything on hand to back that up.

 

[Kangapirate]

I thought the last one Dayer against West Indies in 2010 would have been the lowest but that was 15,600... And like last night that match was beaten by a collingwood v st kilda pre season match at etihad.

 

[peternorth]

scheduling for the summer is all over the place. ODIs months before the WC.

 

[le dominateur]

Cricket is becoming a TV sport.
I flicked between the cricket and soccer and eventually gave up (the soccer was a terrible game and the cricket was worse than being at a funeral) and put a movie on instead.

 

[Bradesmaen]

When you're being charged s**t loads to go to the game, $5+ for a coke, $10 for a beer.. of course people don't want to go.

 

[peternorth]

When you're being charged s**t loads to go to the game, $5+ for a coke, $10 for a beer.. of course people don't want to go.

by the same token, crowds should be down for the footy too

 

[damochandler]

by the same token, crowds should be down for the footy too

they were

 

[Marstermind]

When you're being charged s**t loads to go to the game, $5+ for a coke, $10 for a beer.. of course people don't want to go.

But they'll go on Boxing Day. And to the World Cup Final. And to AFL events like Anzac Day or Finals.

Put on a decent event and people put up with this. But put on meaningless twang then the catering prices become another factor people drop out.

 

[Bradesmaen]

But they'll go on Boxing Day. And to the World Cup Final. And to AFL events like Anzac Day or Finals.

Put on a decent event and people put up with this. But put on meaningless twang then the catering prices become another factor people drop out.

I feel like CA are putting prices up deliberately to kill off 50 over cricket as they hate it.