Should the SCG lose some games?

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el-capitano

el-capitano

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Should the SCG lose some games?

ANZ STADIUM is making a major play to break the SCG's monopoly on international cricket, pitching for one-day and Twenty20 internationals when the current rights agreement expires in one year.

The Homebush Bay venue's chief executive, Ken Edwards, said the stadium would not bid for Test cricket but believes limited-overs matches would give cricket the chance to expand its audience in Sydney's west.

"You'd think it was in cricket's best interests to play their really big one-day and Twenty20 games here and that's what we're talking to them about," Edwards said.

When the stadium arrangements for cricket were last negotiated in 2003, Edwards said the proposal was on an all-or-nothing basis.

"It's a very different negotiation [this time]," he said.

"They have told us they have the view they need to grow the game in the western suburbs. They've got three million people out here, yet you've got Tests, one-dayers and Twenty20 matches played in Perth and Adelaide that have smaller populations than that."

Edwards said fans from western Sydney avoided the SCG, saying: "There's a huge population base that don't go and watch international cricket because it's just too difficult to get into Moore Park. And the capacity is not there even if they wanted to.

"Cricket NSW has told us about 5 per cent of all registered cricketers live in the catchment area around the cricket ground; 50 per cent live out this way."

"You need a big Sydney stadium that can host cricket and you need a big Sydney stadium that can compete with the MCG commercially. It doesn't hurt Sydney's case to be able to say we can host a final or semi-final at 80,000. If you say you want to host a final at 42,000, you're not in the game."

Edwards indicated Tests were not on the immediate agenda but added: "If cricket came to us and asked, 'We'd love to host Test matches here.' But, what they've said to us, is that Test matches, as far as this next negotiation goes, will be staying at the SCG."

Since 2003, ANZ Stadium has averaged 17,500 for the 10 games of domestic limited-overs cricket it had hosted. Edwards said that in the same period the SCG had hosted 11 domestic limited-overs games at an average of 3000.
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The play to take games away from SCG - Cricket - Sport - smh.com.au
 
Re: Should the SCG lose some games?

i don't mind some limited overs games going over there. not all, about half or whatever. its good to get another surface into the game and see what happens. as long as it doesn't take too much away from the SCG, and not for tests.

i'm having a mind blank, whats the stadium in melbourne with the closing roof? they've played there before and i like being able to have a T20 uninterrupted by rain, duckworth-lewis doesn't work on the shortest form of the game.
 
Re: Should the SCG lose some games?

Well now its Etihad Stadium! ;)

Previously known as the Telstra Dome and something else before that.
 
Re: Should the SCG lose some games?

thats it!
damn me and my memory.

tests need rain stoppages as it is part of strategy and play, but a T20 doesn't in its wham bam style, so perhaps closed grounds are a heading to take for the newest form of the game.
 
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