Waca Test Match Faces Axe
- Thread starter Sharkman84
- Start date
Kram81
Well-Known Member
Kram81
Well-Known Member
Yes, this series Perth missing out on getting a Test was just a once off.
Lachy
New Member
Awesome!
nairbe
Active Member
And halaluyah to that, would love to see the WACA tured back into a traditional ground with the picket fence and a good hill. ODI and T20 would be at Burswood but it could be good for shield, A grade and WAFL games
Kram81
Well-Known Member
nairbe
Active Member
I accept that the WACA simply does not have the capacity for the big games and to redevelop to that standard is expensive but really, the new stadium will have lifeless and characterless drop in pitches that might be great for ODI and T20 but are death for test cricket. We need traditional pitch squares for good test cricket where there is individual character.
futureblackcap
Well-Known Member
100% agree. Unfortunately the WACA Ground has been mismanaged for a considerable period of time and as such a lot of games will taken to the new Perth Stadium. The lack of vision, poor decisions and mismanagement have cost WA and Australian cricket the chance to see the WACA Ground become the full-time host of cricket whenever it is played in Perth. It is something the public aren't happy about as many would prefer to see cricket played at the WACA which is probably the most unique pitch in world cricket.
But as I said earlier, poor governance by the WACA has lead to this situation. The decision to take cricket to the new stadium is purely a financial one which will see Cricket Australia (CA) make more money from games here but in terms of actual pure cricket enjoyment it will be a lot less. Perth Stadium will be a world class venue but will have none of the character that the WACA currently has. The pitches will be flat drop-in decks, the strong seabreeze will be blocked by the grandstands with an electronic scoreboard to replace the manual one, not to mention the grassy banks that sit square of the wicket will be long gone.
It's a shame this has happened but the WACA only has itself to blame. I'm not surprised Lillee quit either, he has always been an advocate of the ground having played on it many times during his career but the WACA is not really in a situation where it can keep games at the venue.
I still hold out hope that cricket will return to the ground full-time in the near future but for the foreseeable period it seems only Sheffield Shield cricket and possibly WAFL footy will be played there. Hopefully the ground will be managed properly in the near future which will see some sort of smart redevelopment so that cricket can be played in Perth where it belongs.
nairbe
Active Member
I see that the Gabba is now also under threat but more from a numbers at games issue with Test cricket. The sad truth is that only the Ashes and who ever are the top team at the time will pull great test crowds over five days. The obsession with mega stadiums and drop in pitches is killing test cricket in this country as T20 is around most of the world.
The loss of test cricket would be the slow demise of the game internationally and would see cricket gone in 50 years from the landscape. The fostering of test cricket is vital to skill levels and the maintenance of the games base and history.
I believe that each city needs a pure test cricket ground. It need not hold more than 30 000 but must have a traditional square where real pitches can be prepared that have character and life for the game.
The failure in this will see the continuing fall of test cricket to the ridiculous with more and more dead pitches or doctored pitches as was seen in the recent Ashes and openly admitted to by the English team.
5 European Cups
Active Member
A great idea that each city should have a pure test cricket ground. Though the logistics of this aren't quite as simple unfortunately. Being from Victoria, this is a good example. Victoria doesn't even have a second ground that is up to first class standard, hence the state side last season had to play home games in Alice Springs from memory to accommodate the World Cup.
I believe the state Labour gov't has pledged money to make the Junction Oval of first class standard, but that will likely be some years away.
Seems the days of grounds with all their characteristics are a thing of the past - I remember the mighty West Indies of 1988/89 made to look like school boys against Allan Border's spin at the SCG...... Long time ago now!!!
nairbe
Active Member
Yes i remember that test very well. Bob Holland and Bennett in the team but AB spun us to victory. I get that ib some cases it is hard, after all the Boxing day test at the G is a must but these drop in pitches are a disaster for test cricket.
Adelaide has the same problem with a second ground but at least we could keep the WACA and border oval in Brisbane would also work. There is North Sydney also but would need to be enlarged.
The Gabba has been struggling numbers wise for a while. I'm not sure why though, the weather is generally okay in November although the games there usually don't go for five days. I guess they just can't get the interest there. You're right in that only the better teams draw good crowds along with the Ashes. It will be interesting to see what sort of crowds we see for the New Zealand tests given their resurgence in all forms of the game over the past couple of years. You would think they should draw a bit better than what they have done in the past.
For the most part test cricket in Australia and also England is still relatively healthy. Crowds are pretty good and the interest is fairly high. The only issue really is the onset of T20 cricket as you've said and also the flat drop-in decks we are seeing. These reasons are more prevalent in other countries where the shorter forms of the game seem to be more popular and the crowds for test cricket have dropped off. But you are right in saying the pitches here have less life in them as they generally do these days.
Each city having a pure test cricket ground is a great idea in theory but is becoming less and less viable. The WACA is a prime example of this in that it is only used during summer for competitive sport and stays unused during the off-season months with the exception of training. The ground would be more viable if it had a winter tenant but it doesn't at the moment. Claremont Football Club expressed interest in using the ground for WAFL games in 2016 but the WACA then said no as Claremont wanted to use the ground for training and playing rather than just matchdays. Plus they also wanted the WACA to extend the playing surface by 20 metres. The whole winter tenancy thing then goes back to the drop in pitch argument with the ground having to prepare pitches away from the wicket block which then leads to flat decks instead of traditional wickets. From there the argument goes around and around again.
The main problem is finding a solution to these issues we're having with pitch preparation. Hopefully being able to get these drop in decks similar to traditional wickets at each ground will happen soon with a bit of luck.
Junction Oval is due to be upgraded for the 2016/17 season to first-class status. Presently, CA and AFL have an in-principle agreement that the AFL can use the MCG from mid March 2016 but there is yet to be anything official at this stage. That would mean Victoria would have to host any Sheffield Shield final (should they win the right to host) outside Victoria again.
I believe the upgrade of Junction Oval also has a $5million shortfall at the moment as well.