Test crowds in crisis

It's true. Ben Dorries says so...

As Test crowds plunge and cricket cries out for colourful characters, it would be a bitter blow if Sreesanth was ruled out of the Test series against Australia, which starts on Boxing Day at the MCG.

In hindsight, the turnout for last season was pretty atrocious. Fair point.

Last season meaning? The SL series?

Meaning the 2006/07 Ashes.

The turnout was low for the Ashes? That's news ...

Was it mainly after the public figured out that England were there just so they could get a nice long spanking?

The Very Salvation Of Test Cricket could be seen as a bit of a load for the slender but chip-ridden shoulders of an underperformed blustering hot-head like Sreesanth.

Oh yeah? And what does the chip that he's supposed to be carrying refer to? Uh oh. Wrong answer. It's clearly you whose shoulders bear a weighty chip, Atlas.

The prospect of seeing Sreesanth carry on like a pork chop might drag in a few of the freak show set, putting the Boxing Day crowd up from 60 000 to, maybe 60 008.

You must be emo.

Who the hell's Emo?

an Emo

a gay looking Goth

Oh.

Thanks MB.

In hindsight, the turnout for last season was pretty atrocious. Fair point.

People bought their tickets for last season expecting a CONTEST like the 2005 series.

For crowds to be good, Australia basically needs to get beaten.

I think the crowds will be better for the Indian series.

Sri Lanka have never created much of a buzz here, well not for the right reasons anyway.

Before the 05 ashes the contest to watch was India vs Australia and with england sliding in the last 18 months this is back to being the top two going at it.

"For crowds to be good, Australia basically needs to get beaten."

Or somebody to announce their retirement, which kept the gates clicking last summer after the series petered out as a contest.

Crowds last time India toured:

Bris 53000 (weather-affected, only 1 hr play day 3)
Adel 68138 (first 4 days only, no figure given for day 5)
Melb 179770 (Aust went into match 1-0 down)
Syd 189985 (Steve Waugh's last Test)

Those crowds seem above average, and the fact that the series was competitive may have helped, but the Waugh factor seems most likely to have brought the Sydney crowd out, esp over the last two days (35k and 27k).

The crowds for that series were actually better than for the 02/03 ashes.

or it could be that Australia got beaten

"For crowds to be good, Australia basically needs to get beaten."

Or somebody to announce their retirement, which kept the gates clicking last summer after the series petered out as a contest.

The Melbourne and Sydney Tests were sold out long before Mcgrath and Warne announced their retirements. Oh yeah....and Langer (snigger).

Full day 5's in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide in 03-04 would have bumped those numbers up. The first three Tests of 02-03 had two fourth days and no fifth days between them and the other two were both almost over an hour into day 5.

If I've already handed over the dosh for the ticket, the monoy's gone, whether I sit in the MCG all Boxing Day drinking their overpriced overaerated beer or not.

Boxing Day sells out most years, and the MCG holds 98k but it's never been absolutely full for a cricket match, Boxing day or any other time. The empty seats belong to people who for various reasons decided not to take up their option on the day. How many of them there are is what makes the difference between a 50 000 and an 80 000 crowd.

Warney packing it in might have been a good counter-argument to the fact that the brownie points back home might be handy, and the weather looked crap anyway, and whatever other misgivings Joe Punter might have on the day. MacGill's last Test might not work quite as well.

Don't forget the Chaps in the members...they often don't turn out...

i believe there are more chaps in the members at the G, than the whole wuss crowd at the wacarium

Don't worry guys Sreesanth will bring back the crowds this summer.

horace wrote:i believe there are more chaps NOT in the members at the G, than the whole wuss crowd at the wacarium

FIXED

Josh Carney wrote:Don't worry guys Sreesanth will bring back the crowds this summer.

not in WA unless Sreesanth is an expat pom or saffie