Tradition or Viewing Numbers?

[James]

What comes to my mind about the Ashes and the struggle to get tickets is the small capacities at Adelaide and Perth.

Adelaide Oval - Capacity: 33,597
The Gabba - Capacity: 42,000
WACA - Capacity: 26,000
Sydney Cricket Ground - Capacity: 43,649
MCG - Capacity: 96,308

Should the Australian Cricket Board have considered an extra test at the MCG in place of the Adelaide Oval or the WACA? Or even considered developing a portable pitch for Stadium Australia?

 

[LongHopCassidy]

I think politics might scupper that suggestion - any state that's denied their Test would be livid.

 

[James]

To use an example, the Rugby World Cup in 2011 to be hosted in New Zealand. Eden Park is getting the four semi finals, the playoff for third and the Final because of the capacity issue.

With the Ashes being the biggest Tests in the history of Test cricket, I would have thought the size of the stadiums would have been an issue and ruled the WACA out especially.

I would have personally looked at two Tests each for Sydney (SCG and portable pitch for Telstra) and Melbourne (two MCG) and one for Brisbane. With so many people wanting to get to these games, you have to look past "tradition" as far as I'm concerned. It's like giving a Rugby World Cup semifinal to Carisbrook in Dunedin with the WACA getting an Ashes Test.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

It's certainly a valid point - there are only three stadiums in Australia with capacity over 50,000, and two of them don't even hold cricket matches. However, all I can see is the WACA and SACA whinging about state elitism and the absence of tradition in the modern game.

 

[alternative]

I reckon WACA should always be there.. we need those traditional bouncy tracks.. and i dont think we will produce that anywhere else apart from WACA, so it should stay..

I do understand yur point of the capacity of the ground.. but we always had that one, so we should just stick to it..

 

[archie mac]

I must admit I am a big one for tradition, and would not like to see the WACA lose a Test.

The Ashes are always sold out in England but they don't take a Test off Lords and move it to Wembley.

Before 1970/71 (first Test in Perth) they played the extra Test at Melb or Sydney

 

[superkingdave]

indeed in fact for the next ashes series in England the grounds chosen will have lower capacties than last year

 

[LongHopCassidy]

Yeah, what's with an Ashes Test at Sophia Gardens?!?!

 

[superkingdave]

Yeah, what's with an Ashes Test at Sophia Gardens?!?!

basically the Welsh Assembly are giving loads of (taxpayers) money to the ECB to have it there. The ECB's criteria for holding tests is almost entirely based on the money they will get.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

If they really want to rake it in they should bring back the six-Test series.

 

[luckyeddie]

Yeah, what's with an Ashes Test at Sophia Gardens?!?!

Perfectly natural - as the saying goes, "Ashes to Ashes".

After all, the Welsh Nationalists invested years setting fire to hundreds of English-owned holiday homes.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

If they really want to rake it in they should bring back the six-Test series.

And scrap three ODIs at the Rose Bowl? Heaven forbid!

 

[James]

The Ashes are always sold out in England but they don't take a Test off Lords and move it to Wembley.

The difference is though, England doesn't have any cricket stadiums above 35,000 while Australia have many.

I don't see how the ICC can host another Cricket World Cup in England with the current stadiums there. As the International Rugby Board told New Zealand, you need at least one 55,000+ stadium to host a major international sporting event.

 

[archie mac]

The difference is though, England doesn't have any cricket stadiums above 35,000 while Australia have many.

I don't see how the ICC can host another Cricket World Cup in England with the current stadiums there. As the International Rugby Board told New Zealand, you need at least one 55,000+ stadium to host a major international sporting event.

Yes I can see the point you are making, but I am not sure where you draw the line?

If we follow the logic then they should play no Ashes Tests in England and only play them in Australia.

All WC should be played in India because of the huge grounds there.

A few years ago when ODI cricket was the big game in town, the Gabba would be sold out every year, but they didnot take the matches off them and transfer them to Sydney.

I don't think venues should lose matches because they sell out. I think they should lose matches for not having a decent crowd.

 

[James]

Yes I can see the point you are making, but I am not sure where you draw the line?

If we follow the logic then they should play no Ashes Tests in England and only play them in Australia.

All WC should be played in India because of the huge grounds there.

A few years ago when ODI cricket was the big game in town, the Gabba would be sold out every year, but they didnot take the matches off them and transfer them to Sydney.

I don't think venues should lose matches because they sell out. I think they should lose matches for not having a decent crowd.

The Ashes isn't an ICC tournament that they run, and obviously England have to host the series, and they don't have the choice but to host games at stadiums that have capacities of around 15,000.

It's different with Australia where they have quality sporting stadiums that have large capacities.

With big international tournaments like the Cricket World Cup, you need stadiums that can handle the demand. England don't have this. Until England have a cricket stadium that can host 60,000+ I would decline any bid they make for an ICC event. Look at the 10 Test playing nations, almost all have at least one "large" stadium that has a capacity of 60,000+.

Re the Gabba, they have a capacity of 43,000 which I think is fine for one out of five Tests but below 30,000 as in the WACA's case and almost the Adelaide Oval's case, I don't think is fair due to demand for tickets.

The tradition story is just plain rubbish IMO. If we went down that route in everything we did, we'd still be going round in a horse and cart. The Sydney Cricket Ground has got it right IMO, in that they're continuing to increase the capacity in everyway they can but keeping the old parts in.

 

[archie mac]

It may be surprising but the SCG has gone down in capacity over the years, the record was set for a RL GF and was 65,000+

Tradition is always dismissed too quickly in my opinion. Would there be the interest in the current WC (soccer) if we had not played all of those matches going back to 1930?

Asking the people of Perth to fly 100s of miles to watch a cricket match live is a bit much I think. How would you like to be the parent telling your kids sorry no Test Match it is to far away? (I know your answer re-not enough seats is coming)

 

[James]

It may be surprising but the SCG has gone down in capacity over the years, the record was set for a RL GF and was 65,000+

Tradition is always dismissed too quickly in my opinion. Would there be the interest in the current WC (soccer) if we had not played all of those matches going back to 1930?

Asking the people of Perth to fly 100s of miles to watch a cricket match live is a bit much I think. How would you like to be the parent telling your kids sorry no Test Match it is to far away? (I know your answer re-not enough seats is coming)

Was that due to having people standing though which is no longer allowed at sporting events?

Tradition in that aspect definately, but it's different when it comes to stadiums/facilities, etc IMO.

That's just tough luck. If the Western Australian Cricket Board want to host a Test, tell them to get their stadium up to standard first.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Eden Park is getting the four semi finals, the playoff for third and the Final because of the capacity issue.

???

 

[James]

???

LOL, I meant two. Where did I get four from?

 

[Dasa]

Tradition is always dismissed too quickly in my opinion. Would there be the interest in the current WC (soccer) if we had not played all of those matches going back to 1930?

That's not tradition, it's history. Merely doing something isn't really carrying on a tradition.
In any case, I'd support more matches at the larger grounds now that it seems that the pitches seem to be largely similar in all of the grounds. If the situation was that Perth was still the quickest and bounciest then I wouldn't want a Test match moved from there, but now that there is no difference playing on a Perth pitch vs a Sydney pitch, I can't see any reason not to hold more matches at higher capacity venues.