Waca Test Match Faces Axe

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Sharkman84

Sharkman84

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WACA Test match faces axe

The Australian September 04, 2013 12:00AM

THE Perth Test has joined the list of endangered species as Cricket Australia considers which mainland venue will not host a traditional match next year.

India is scheduled to play four Tests in the Australian summer that leads up to the World Cup in 2015.

Brisbane and Adelaide were put on notice that they could miss out, but The Australian learnt this week that the Western Australian Cricket Association has been asked to give reasons why the match should be held there.

The move to drop Perth would cause angst with broadcasters and fans in the east as it is the one match of the year where people on can enjoy the last session after work because of the time difference. Perth is also a more attractive broadcast option into India but The Australian has been told it is the venue most likely to miss out.

When the Nine Network negotiated the recent broadcast deal, it pushed heavily to have the first Test of the year played in Perth because it was better for its ratings and that it wanted a say in selection, but this was shot down by CA chief executive James Sutherland.

There were suggestions that Brisbane was the venue that would miss out. That scenario has been complicated by the G20 summit being held there and the venue being inside the designated lockdown area.

The compensation for missing out on a Test would have taken the form of a series of one-day and T20 matches in November against South Africa, but that won't happen in Brisbane because of the restrictions around the government summit.

WACA chief executive Christina Matthews admitted yesterday she was concerned about the prospect of not hosting a Test in the 2014-15 season.

"We've been asked a series of questions about the Test and the potential impacts," she explained. "It is not a formal bidding process as much as an information-gathering process for Cricket Australia across the three states. You don't like to be in this situation, but I am confident we can put things on the table that make it attractive to hold the game in Perth.

"It is no secret that our time zone is favourable but there is more than that and we will put that on the table."

The WACA owns its venue and makes more money from the catering and hosting thanBrisbane, as the Gabba is rented.

Matthews argues that the smaller size of Perth and popularity of cricket in the state means the ground is reasonably full for most of a match.

Cricket Australia and Queensland Cricket refused to comment on the issue yesterday while the South Australian Cricket Association did not return calls.

Scheduling is one of the biggest problems in cricket. The Australian revealed last week that the domestic schedule for this summer had still yet to be released as head office wrestled with locking in a broadcaster for the new Ryobi Cup format, which will be held entirely at suburban grounds in Sydney in October.

Nine's digital channel Gem was supposed to be close to signing a deal for the domestic one-day competition while there had also been talks with Fox Sports. The only published fixture for the domestic summer is for the Big Bash but The Australian understands Cricket Australia was in negotiations with the Ten Network to lop a week off the finals of that competition to allow the Shield to restart earlier.

CA can at least look towards South African cricket and be relieved not to be in its position. Unlike almost everybody else in the game, that body chose not to bow to the wishes of cricket's bully boys in India.

South Africa was told in no uncertain terms by the Indian board not to appoint former ICC chairman Haroon Lorgat to its board but didn't listen and went ahead.

The South Africans have now been punished by India which had steadfastly refused to confirm what had been a three-Test, seven-ODI and two-T20 tour this summer.

Instead the BCCI announced on the weekend that it had invited the West Indies to India in November for two Tests but still refused to agree to the South Africa series, which the local board had announced earlier in the year.
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http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/cricket/waca-test-match-faces-axe/story-e6frg7rx-1226710077070
 
WACA is a shit stadium but gets a higher attendance and is better for TV, should get the game over the GABBA.
 
Tbh, I don't think Western Australia fans will have too much to worry about here.

There is no way on this God give Earth that Channel Nine will allow a Test match that is ratings gold for them in the eastern states with the last session being beamed live in prime time to be taken off the calendar.

Channel Nine will jump up and down and simply will not allow this to happen.
 
Kram81 said:
WACA is a shit stadium but gets a higher attendance and is better for TV, should get the game over the GABBA.
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Has there been any talk in the West of the Eagles and Freo possibly moving out of Subi and redeveloping the WACA to have footy played there?

It may make sense for that to happen with the WACA being closer to the city than Subi is.

That way the WACA gets a shiny new upgrade ala the Adelaide Oval.
 
Sharkman84 said:
Instead of spending billions on a new stadium at Burswood, one would've thought it would've been better to upgrade the WACA like the SACA is doing with the Adelaide Oval.
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Nah, Adelaide Oval is apparently in a prime location and part of the work already done with a large stand recently built for cricket. WACA would have had to be completely knocked down is in a pretty poor location, it's hard enough to get out of the place with 20K, let alone 60K. Wouldn't have even be much cheaper if at all, better off using a clean site in a better spot.

Would also ruin its famous wicket going to a drop in.
 
Sharkman84 said:
Tbh, I don't think Western Australia fans will have too much to worry about here.

There is no way on this God give Earth that Channel Nine will allow a Test match that is ratings gold for them in the eastern states with the last session being beamed live in prime time to be taken off the calendar.

Channel Nine will jump up and down and simply will not allow this to happen.
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Totally agree, there is not a snow balls chance in hell that the WACA test will go. I am sure that the Gabba will loose out in this round. generally not a very popular test match though playing India you would think we would be better off dropping Adelaide for tactical reasons as the pitch is a lifeless turner.
 
I would really hope the Perth test isn't dropped, Australia tends to do pretty well there and it generally produces a result unlike the lifeless Adelaide Oval pitch. The WACA isn't the best venue but Perth loves it's cricket much more than what Brisbane does.

I'd be pretty angry if Perth lost its test match, especially considering it's a ratings bonanza for Channel 9.
 
I'm too lazy to look it up at the moment but iirc despite being a batsman's paradise Adelaide Oval has almost always recently still produced results.
 
Well i could not have been more wrong. The snowballs chance has come around and the ACB has made another clanger based on crowds at the game and not overall viewer interest and the interests of Australian cricket. I wonder who paid the back hand for this one. The WACA test is gone in favour of Adelaide or Brisbane which ever way you see it. I think this is appalling. I truly believe that the Adelaide oval is handing the Indians an advantage that at this time we need not give any team. What next are we going to prepare slow low pitches for the POMS next year just to be good old boys. The ACB board are a disgrace and it gets clearer by the action that Sutherland must go, he is a fool.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...test-next-season/story-fni2fnmo-1226717255348
 
Shattered. Absolutely gutted, angry, frustrated, you name it really. Absolute dog act by CA, can't explain the disbelief that I and also many Perth people are feeling right now. There are many reasons why the Perth test should have stayed but it seems that we're ruled by the almighty dollar rather than what is best for our team. I wouldn't be surprised if the extra ODI's and T20's are shunned in a sort of protest vote by the Perth public.
 
A lot of Ireland supporters are rallying for Ireland to play a one-off Test (or four-day game) against the Aussies at the WACA to fill in that void. I love the idea, especially considering the large Irish contingency in Perth, but I don't think the Aussies would be too keen to squeeze in a non-ODI in their summer. A four- or five-day game would be a big boon for the Ireland team, the WACA, the thousands of travelling Irish supporters, and the thousands more now based in Perth. They should look at incorporating a four-day game, or at least one or two ODIs, against another touring country -- or even Western Australia -- as part of their pre-World Cup plans. An ambitious plan, I know, but one that's at least worth exploring.
 
Must be gutting for Perth fans.

Another baffling decision to play Australia's domestic one-day cricket tournament in one state across a month... It's almost as if CA wants Australians to stop caring about one day cricket just before the world cup haha.
 
troll3y said:
A lot of Ireland supporters are rallying for Ireland to play a one-off Test (or four-day game) against the Aussies at the WACA to fill in that void. I love the idea, especially considering the large Irish contingency in Perth, but I don't think the Aussies would be too keen to squeeze in a non-ODI in their summer. A four- or five-day game would be a big boon for the Ireland team, the WACA, the thousands of travelling Irish supporters, and the thousands more now based in Perth. They should look at incorporating a four-day game, or at least one or two ODIs, against another touring country -- or even Western Australia -- as part of their pre-World Cup plans. An ambitious plan, I know, but one that's at least worth exploring.
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A game against Australia would be good but it won't happen. More chance of playing against WA.

futureblackcap said:
Must be gutting for Perth fans.

Another baffling decision to play Australia's domestic one-day cricket tournament in one state across a month... It's almost as if CA wants Australians to stop caring about one day cricket just before the world cup haha.
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They're pushing their agenda to promote T20 cricket through the BBL over 50-over cricket. The Ryobi Cup has gone from 10 matches to eight and now it will only be six games for each state while the BBL involves each team playing eight games over a period of almost two months.

It's fairly clear what they are trying to do and the whole "tournament feel" thing is just a lame excuse they've thrown up.
 
The scheduling for the next Ashes series is poor as well. Having two Ashes series' so close together really takes away from the excitement. I'd rather watch England take on South Africa again and Pakistan toured Australia or something like that.

It should have been moved to after the 2015 world cup. For one thing, Australia's side would have enough time to rebuild their side.
 
futureblackcap said:
The scheduling for the next Ashes series is poor as well. Having two Ashes series' so close together really takes away from the excitement. I'd rather watch England take on South Africa again and Pakistan toured Australia or something like that.

It should have been moved to after the 2015 world cup. For one thing, Australia's side would have enough time to rebuild their side.
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They would have then had to push back the future Ashes series after the World Cup. It's not ideal but I don't too many people are complaining about it.
 
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