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1st grade? Crowds at Matador games?

stephen

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Is that all it exists for, 'Australian selection'? Are there not fans of the state sides, who like the competition for what it is and not merely as some sort of 'nursery' for the international sides?
I for one follow Queensland closely and support them. But the Shield really is just a nursery for international cricketers.

The Big Bash is where you get the opportunity to see overseas pros and big crowds. It's played over the Christmas break.

I used to regularly go to Queensland ODD games when I was younger but now that they're all played in October and in locations not conducive to stopping off after work, combined with the young family means I don't go any more. While I was doing this we'd get crowds of 4000 on an average evening. Sometimes they would get up to 7000 and sometimes as few as 3000.

Crowds are typically much lower now due to the timing of the ODD season, fewer games played and the Big Bash replacing it as the "after work" and holiday match.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Is that all it exists for, 'Australian selection'? Are there not fans of the state sides, who like the competition for what it is and not merely as some sort of 'nursery' for the international sides?
The answer to this is basically "not really", unfortunately.
 

S.Kennedy

International Vice-Captain
This is all sad to hear. It just seems CA do not care about the state competitions and have thrown everything into the twenty20 stuff which the ECB seem to be now doing. In England we still have 'county cricket fans' - admittedly most of them elderly but not all - who travel to away games.

Yeah I was emphatically agreeing with you!



The requirements for an overseas player to be a good buy in the Shield are higher than in County cricket, given the strength of the competition. Therefore a lot of the overseas players that are automatic selections and dominant in county cricket would be borderline players in the Shield. It's all well and good keeping a young bloke out for someone who is going to be one of your strongest players, but it doesn't make sense to keep out a local for an overseas player who might be, at best, marginally better.

Overseas players in the Shield would need to be real stars IMO for it to work. Someone like Kumar Sangakkara or an English international maybe, but they those players are usually either on international duty or it wouldn't be worth their time. Sangakkara's not going to waste months to play Shield for meagre pay. (Pretty sure there's more money in country cricket too)
We as county fans - and more so Surrey - were fairly blessed to have Sangakarra's presence. He is an one off in liking the first-class game as I cannot believe even what moneybags Surrey offer can match the T20 journeymen money. Still shocked he joined Durham for about two matches on some weird 'tune-up' deal 2014ish.
 

cnerd123

likes this
I think cricket is just intrinsically not as appealing as most other sports to watch. It's slow paced and complicated. It's not going to compete well entertainment wise to things like movies, plays, concerts, or even watching other sports. This is why domestic cricket is never going to get the same attention as any other domestic leagues within the country. Unless you have a big-name cricketer playing, I don't think you can convince people to come watch. Although, it doesn't help that most domestic cricket is very poorly marketed anyways.

T20 is the only format you can really sell to the casual audience. You could bring in more crowds domestically if you had the International players taking part in the games, and put in more effort into promoting the games, but I guess most boards feel that there isn't much of a return on any investment into marketing. Best to let domestic cricket operate solely as a feeder league to the International side, while the T20 stuff is what you use to earn money.
 

stephen

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
This is all sad to hear. It just seems CA do not care about the state competitions and have thrown everything into the twenty20 stuff which the ECB seem to be now doing. In England we still have 'county cricket fans' - admittedly most of them elderly but not all - who travel to away games.



We as county fans - and more so Surrey - were fairly blessed to have Sangakarra's presence. He is an one off in liking the first-class game as I cannot believe even what moneybags Surrey offer can match the T20 journeymen money. Still shocked he joined Durham for about two matches on some weird 'tune-up' deal 2014ish.
In England, travelling means driving two hours. In Australia, travelling means jumping on a plane and booking a hotel.

You can drive from London to Edinburgh in half the time it takes to drive from Brisbane to Sydney.
 

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
How many Shield sides are there, six? That is six overseas players for the entire competition if we are assuming a similar one-player-per-team ratio as the county championship. A reduction from 66 to 60 is hardly a big sacrifice considering the benefits of seeing a few big international names enlivening the competition. Trust me, it is brilliant being able to see international duels which you could not possibly see replicated internationally now for the price of a county championship ticket. You are really missing out here.
So how are these big international names who don't even play domestic cricket in their own country because of international commitments going to suddenly become available then?
 

S.Kennedy

International Vice-Captain
So how are these big international names who don't even play domestic cricket in their own country because of international commitments going to suddenly become available then?
Never underestimate the pull of the retired international.
 

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
Never overestimate the desire of the retired international to slog around a foreign country ahead of his own country (or alternatively a much lower workload for much larger reward).
 

S.Kennedy

International Vice-Captain
Never overestimate the desire of the retired international to slog around a foreign country ahead of his own country (or alternatively a much lower workload for much larger reward).
I do not understand? If we are discussing English players, our season is at a completely different time from the Australian.

Everybody seems more concerned about the players and international teams but my argument pertained more to spectators. Kolpak debate aside, there is no doubt that our competition has benefited greatly from overseas signings.
 

Midwinter

State Captain
Is that all it exists for, 'Australian selection'? Are there not fans of the state sides, who like the competition for what it is and not merely as some sort of 'nursery' for the international sides?
I like watching shield cricket.

But it is a days drive just to get to watch an away game, plus accommodation. So I don't go.

It is annoying that they have been playing Vic home games in Alice Springs the last couple of years.
 

TheJediBrah

Request Your Custom Title Now!
I do not understand? If we are discussing English players, our season is at a completely different time from the Australian.

Everybody seems more concerned about the players and international teams but my argument pertained more to spectators. Kolpak debate aside, there is no doubt that our competition has benefited greatly from overseas signings.
Yes but the differences between County cricket and Australian State Cricket that affect the prospect of overseas players has been explained already in this thread.

- More money in County Cricket (easier to attract overseas players)
- Higher standard of Shield cricket (harder to find available overseas players who would be worth paying/taking the spot of locals)
 

S.Kennedy

International Vice-Captain
Well it is certainly a lot different from the championship - that is all I know. You may as well just run the competition behind a barbed wire fence and pit Team A verses Team B, and Team C v D - ''best players make Australian squad''.
 

TheJediBrah

Request Your Custom Title Now!
That's just the way things are in Australia. Big Bash and Boxing Day Test are where the interest is, and occasionally other home International matches.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Well it is certainly a lot different from the championship - that is all I know. You may as well just run the competition behind a barbed wire fence and pit Team A verses Team B, and Team C v D - ''best players make Australian squad''.
That's pretty much what already happens tbh.
 

Woodster

International Captain
That is a pretty sad domestic competition if it really is as clinical as people are suggesting.
 

S.Kennedy

International Vice-Captain
It is such a shame. It has existed since 1892-3 - just slightly younger than the county championship.
 

stephen

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Tbf it's far more important and we'll respected by the public that you'd think. We recognise its importance but don't really watch our follow it.
 

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
Tbf it's far more important and we'll respected by the public that you'd think. We recognise its importance but don't really watch our follow it.
Interesting. What percentage of the public do you think could name 3 Shield Cricketers who have never represented Australia? I dont think most people I know could and a lot of them do like sport.

I said it before but the fact that our Australian players hardly play in our comps hurt so much.
 

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