Mr Angry
Not a Referee
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By Ron Reed
January 16, 2009 A BIT like an ageing fast bowler who has seen more fiery days, one-day cricket returns to centre stage Friday with an uncertain future.
Many think the 50-overs a side game has become tired and tedious compared with the new kid on the block, Twenty20, and will struggle to survive the challenge.
That line will be harder to refute if, as seems certain, fewer than 50,000 people go to see Australia take on South Africa on a Friday night, recognised by all sports as box-office prime time in Melbourne.
The Melbourne Cricket Club confirmed Thursday it was expecting 45,000, about two-thirds of the 63,000 at Sunday's Twenty20 game.
Last year, only 49,362 watched Australia play India, and two matches against Sri Lanka drew in the mid-20,000s.
The year before England pulled 78,625 in early January but only 38,858 for a final in February.
This is yet more evidence one-dayers have been a declining force in the sports entertainment market in Melbourne and elsewhere for some years, which is why today's game represents not quite a new era, perhaps, but a change of tack.
The long-running three-way contests died unlamented last summer, replaced by two separate five-match contests with South Africa and New Zealand: no more neutral matches between two visitors.
The one-dayers were jazzed up a little, too, with power plays for the batting team - they can call the fielders in for five overs - and a newer ball available after 34 overs.
They are cosmetic changes, but there is no doubt that something needs to be done to make the middle overs less predictable.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting said he had "no concerns" about the 50-over game, but in the same breath he said it or Twenty20 would inevitably take a lesser role in cricket programming.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,,24918034-23212,00.html
People vote with their feet.
Been saying it for a while 20/20 will kill the 50 over stuff.
January 16, 2009 A BIT like an ageing fast bowler who has seen more fiery days, one-day cricket returns to centre stage Friday with an uncertain future.
Many think the 50-overs a side game has become tired and tedious compared with the new kid on the block, Twenty20, and will struggle to survive the challenge.
That line will be harder to refute if, as seems certain, fewer than 50,000 people go to see Australia take on South Africa on a Friday night, recognised by all sports as box-office prime time in Melbourne.
The Melbourne Cricket Club confirmed Thursday it was expecting 45,000, about two-thirds of the 63,000 at Sunday's Twenty20 game.
Last year, only 49,362 watched Australia play India, and two matches against Sri Lanka drew in the mid-20,000s.
The year before England pulled 78,625 in early January but only 38,858 for a final in February.
This is yet more evidence one-dayers have been a declining force in the sports entertainment market in Melbourne and elsewhere for some years, which is why today's game represents not quite a new era, perhaps, but a change of tack.
The long-running three-way contests died unlamented last summer, replaced by two separate five-match contests with South Africa and New Zealand: no more neutral matches between two visitors.
The one-dayers were jazzed up a little, too, with power plays for the batting team - they can call the fielders in for five overs - and a newer ball available after 34 overs.
They are cosmetic changes, but there is no doubt that something needs to be done to make the middle overs less predictable.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting said he had "no concerns" about the 50-over game, but in the same breath he said it or Twenty20 would inevitably take a lesser role in cricket programming.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,,24918034-23212,00.html
People vote with their feet.
Been saying it for a while 20/20 will kill the 50 over stuff.
