Is the WACA on it's last legs?

[LegionOfBrad]

The Waca Ground in Perth is set to be scrapped as an Ashes venue under plans unveiled by the Western Australia Cricket Association on Thursday.

Under the proposals, international matches between Australia and England will be moved to a new 60,000-capacity Perth Stadium, which is being built across the Swan River.

The Waca Ground has been a daunting venue for touring teams over the years, especially England, who have failed to adjust to its notorious pace and bounce. England have won only one Test there, in 1978 against a side weakened by the Packer breakaway, and have lost on their past seven visits.


Eoin Morgan says ‘new’ England can learn from old masters Australia
Read more
Work began on the new stadium late last year but is not due for completion until shortly after England’s Ashes tour in the winter of 2017-18. England are therefore likely to play one last Test at the historic ground, although the Waca did miss out on hosting Test cricket last winter following concern over its outdated facilities.

That prompted a Western Australia Cricket Association review into the future of the ground, culminating in the release of its “Vision 2030 report” on Thursday.

The Waca board has already approved the plans in the report, although the long-serving president – and former Australia fast bowler – Dennis Lillee resigned his post earlier this week.

“I cannot stand by and watch what is happening at the Waca,” Lillee told the West Australian newspaper. “I do not wish to be part of it any longer.”

As part of the redevelopment scheme, which will take up to 10 years to complete, the Waca will downsize its existing ground into a “boutique” venue with a capacity of 10,000-15,000 spectators. All internationals matches against South Africa and India, as well as England, are to be moved to the new stadium, along with Big Bash League fixtures. The Waca will continue to hosts internationals against other nations as well as Sheffield Shield fixtures.

“To do nothing was not an option,” the Waca chairman, Sam Gannon, said. “We now have the opportunity to showcase the best of world and domestic cricket at two modern stadiums, providing players and spectators with facilities expected for modern sport.”

Drop-in pitches are set to be used at the new stadium – which will primarily house Perth’s two Australian rules football clubs – which has created some concern that Perth’s unique pitches will be lost to Ashes contests.

The Waca chief executive, Christina Matthews, said there were plans to try to replicate those wickets in the drop-in pitches, but did admit the resignation of Lillee – who particularly enjoyed the Waca conditions during his stellar career – after 11 years in his post was a shock. “I was surprised, as was everyone this morning,” she said. “There was nothing in the note he sent to us about why [he resigned].”

Perth?s Waca to be scrapped as Ashes venue under redevelopment plans | Sport | The Guardian

Also explains DKL's resignation yesterday.

Another drop in pitch coming.

 

[harsh.ag]

Arrghh! Loved the WACA, at least until the 90s. Glorious ground. Well I guess it's time for a change. Hope the new one is as good.

 

[Cabinet96]

Boo.

 

[morgieb]

If this ends up like every other drop-in, I am gonna be mightly pissed.

 

[Spikey]

Also explains DKL's resignation yesterday.

just assumed he had no choice cause his leadership clearly failed #failure #DKFail

 

[Cabinet96]

AFL might as well just replace Commonwealth Bank and sponsor these Ashes.

 

[Top_Cat]

Anyone getting misty-eyed for the WACA hasn't watched a game there in the past 10 years.

Drop-ins suck, though.

 

[Cabinet96]

I've literally only ever watched WACA games in the last 10 years. I know it's not what it was, but it's still better than any drop-in pitch they'll produce.

 

[Top_Cat]

I meant if you'd attended the facilities. It's a toilet.

 

[morgieb]

I meant if you'd attended the facilities. It's a toilet.

Yeah have heard bad things about the ground, still I'm unlikely to visit the WACA anytime soon so I tend to judge cricket grounds on watchability on TV. Yes the WACA isn't as quick as what it was, but it'll still be a lot quicker than a drop-in.

 

[The Battlers Prince]

First ground I ever watched a Sheffield shield match at
It's lost it's old fire though

 

[fredfertang]

I didn't know any of that, but it is really sad news. I don't care if we do always lose there. The pace of that wicket is one of the game's great traditions - the Test when Roy Fredericks' scored his famous century is the one I'd like to have seen above all, but they always seemd to be good ones - I do hate this move towards uniformity

 

[Tangles]

Another win for AFL and drop ins. Boo.

 

[Furball]

What a joke.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

It's just the SCG and Gabba left without dropins now isnt it (of the main grounds)

 

[Spikey]

Another win for AFL and drop ins. Boo.

Nothing to do with them really. This is all about the WACA being unable to secure funding to upgrade their ground, and so jumping ship into the new stadium. A victory for the WA government who don't have to pay up for two big redevelopments. (I'm pretty suspicious about this "redevelopment" into a smaller stadium. There's no government approval as far as I know...)

 

[burr]

Drop-ins are such a blight on the Australian game. Sucking the life out of our once-great pitches.

 

[Red]

Imagine Perth Stadium will be a sterile piece of **** kind of like Docklands in Melb, with accessibility to the city its only real plus.

 

[watson]

The total cost of the new Perth Stadium will be no less than $1.57 Billion, including transport infrastructure. Westadium will pay the bulk of the money with the State Government forking out $422 Million.

Perth stadium costs to exceed $1.5 billion - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)


So Perth will end up with 3 major stadiums - Perth Stadium (60,000), Subiaco (43,000), and the WACA (15,000).

My question is - is there the demand for 3 major stadiums in Perth? Seems like overkill to me, especially as the Adelaide Goverment upgraded there Cricket Ground recently for $535 Million.

Upgraded Adelaide Oval lifespan defended - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)


And just to be boring - grandiose stadiums do not sustain a society or its economy in the long term. Well educated people graduating from well funded modern schools and universities do. In other words, if Perth cannot fill those 118,000 seats regularly then we are looking at a colossal misuse of public money.

And all at a time when the arse has fallen out of the mining sector and unemployment is on the increase. But maybe that's the whole point. The new stadium is really all about jobs for the next electoral cycle, not the welfare of West Australian cricket.

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/wes...resh-10-year-low/story-fnhocxo3-1227435364545

 

[Furball]

It's just the SCG and Gabba left without dropins now isnt it (of the main grounds)

I don't see how they can keep the pitches given that both grounds are basically AFL stadia now.

The WACA's the last proper cricket ground in Australia. Will be sad to see it go. From an English fan's point of view it's a good thing as we'll avoid our traditional thumping every 4 years but an Ashes series without Australia arseholeling England at the WACA just feels wrong.