RIP Sydney Cricket Ground?

[James]

Will we be saying that in a few years with ANZ Stadium now being cleared for international cricket?

ANZ Stadium cleared for international cricket | Cricket News | England in Australia - The Ashes | Cricinfo.com

A spokesman for ANZ Stadium said the venue's primary focus was to attract ODI and Twenty20 international cricket, but would not rule out a bid to poach Test matches from the SCG.

[Simon]

Doesnt the SCG have an existing long term deal to hosts tests? Anyway not the worst thing, if ANZ is better (which I'm not saying it is) then thats fine. Cant accept history etc... as a valid excuse as playing matches anywhere over somehwere potentially better.

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Bollocks. We've had this in Wellington.

You cannot tell me that the Westpac Stadium in all its concrete finery is a better place for cricket than the Basin Reserve.

Same with the SCG.

[Craig]

I have been to ANZ Stadium, and well it isn't much of a cricket ground. There will be some pretty short boundaries. It will be no more farcial of a cricket ground then what Eden Park is ATM.

[Ausage]

I have been to ANZ Stadium, and well it isn't much of a cricket ground. There will be some pretty short boundaries. It will be no more farcial of a cricket ground then what Eden Park is ATM.

Mor sixxxeezzzzzz66!!

[age_master]

I have been to ANZ Stadium, and well it isn't much of a cricket ground. There will be some pretty short boundaries. It will be no more farcial of a cricket ground then what Eden Park is ATM.

Yeah, i live about 10 mins from ANZ so its very conveinient but it is not a cricket ground. The straight boundaries are stupidly short (59m from memory). It wouldn't be as bad if they turned the pitch back around. The crowd is also further back than at the SCG/SFS. You go to a game and you feel a long way away (I haven't tried sitting right up the top of the stands). At the SCG and SFS you feel right next to the action.

The SCG though is a fantastic cricket ground and its not that hard to get to for most people. Though those in the west of Sydney do have further to travel.

I heard a while back that they are looking at redeveloping it for the potential football WC including putting a roof over it and making it better for cricket and AFL by making the sides abit longer (moveable). If that happened it might work better.

At the moment though, the SCG is way ahead on everything but location.

[James]

Yeah, i live about 10 mins from ANZ so its very conveinient but it is not a cricket ground. The straight boundaries are stupidly short (59m from memory). It wouldn't be as bad if they turned the pitch back around. The crowd is also further back than at the SCG/SFS. You go to a game and you feel a long way away (I haven't tried sitting right up the top of the stands). At the SCG and SFS you feel right next to the action.

The SCG though is a fantastic cricket ground and its not that hard to get to for most people. Though those in the west of Sydney do have further to travel.

I heard a while back that they are looking at redeveloping it for the potential football WC including putting a roof over it and making it better for cricket and AFL by making the sides abit longer (moveable). If that happened it might work better.

At the moment though, the SCG is way ahead on everything but location.

Agree with all of that.

Capacity is also an issue though. You'd bet an Ashes Test at ANZ would get the full 80,000 so perhaps its worth hosting Ashes Tests at ANZ, but all other tests at the SCG?

[Dydl]

I've been following this story for a couple of weeks, and from the comments made by officials, it doesn't seem like they'll move Test cricket from the SCG, but they'll have some ODIs and T20s there.

I recently went to ANZ for a T20 Big Bash match, and didn't mind the stadium, but definitely didn't like it as much as the SCG. The straight boundary is way too short; it's pretty much the first thing you notice when walking into the ground.

I wouldn't have too big a problem though with some of the games in the shorter formats being moved there, but I strongly feel that Tests should stay at the SCG.