1st ODI Australia v Pakistan, November 4 1400hrs @ the MCG

[Ross]

Having it on free to air keeps it in people's consciousness, it's turned on almost unthinkingly by many and a good game or a controversy will be watercooler the next day. All that disappears when it's tucked away on Kayo and Fox.

ODIs were losing interest years before the Foxtel deal started but yeah I agree that it was a short-sighted decision from CA putting it all on Fox. Think of how 25 years ago John Eales and George Gregan were pretty much on the same level as Steve Waugh and Shane Warne and yet most of us today probably couldn't name a single Wallabies player.

 

[Plugger35]

At least Pakistan made it past 200 but that probably won't be enough unless they can take some early wickets.

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

or when you're getting a coffee from the Cafe Bar

I'm sure car dealerships still have those

 

[Cleavy]

I'm sure car dealerships still have those

cockroaches like this

 

[eddiesmith]

ODIs were losing interest years before the Foxtel deal started but yeah I agree that it was a short-sighted decision from CA putting it all on Fox. Think of how 25 years ago John Eales and George Gregan were pretty much on the same level as Steve Waugh and Shane Warne and yet most of us today probably couldn't name a single Wallabies player.

Probably the last time the Wallabies won a game

 

[Cleavy]

ODIs were losing interest years before the Foxtel deal started but yeah I agree that it was a short-sighted decision from CA putting it all on Fox. Think of how 25 years ago John Eales and George Gregan were pretty much on the same level as Steve Waugh and Shane Warne and yet most of us today probably couldn't name a single Wallabies player.

they're all rubbish so wouldn't want to watch to try and name one.

 

[eltrain]

For the tri-series the opening match at the MCG was still huge in this period, but there were clear signs of weakness when the ground hosted one of the finals.

Used to be guaranteed a full house but can recall as early as 97/98 a final against SA not reaching 50k. And the finals MCG hosted in 99/00 and 00/01 i think we're well short of 50k.

Just looking back at the records - the 97/98 crowds were very ordinary (relatively) at the G.

First game (17 Dec vs NZ) - 31k
Second game (21 Jan vs NZ) - 27k
Third game (23 Jan vs SA) - 44k

And yep - first final in 2000 vs Pakistan was 39k and the first final in 2001 vs WI was 32k. First final in 2005 was 27k. Compared with 75k for the first final in 1989.

So the decline was indeed already there around 2000.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

they're all rubbish so wouldn't want to watch to try and name one.

Sualli probably their best player and he hasn’t played a game lol

 

[Rocco sifreddi]

At least Pakistan made it past 200 but that probably won't be enough unless they can take some early wickets.

Dissapointed they let the Aussies dictate the game from the start hopefully they take a different approach if they bat first again.

 

[wagstaff]

Just looking back at the records - the 97/98 crowds were very ordinary (relatively) at the G.

First game (17 Dec vs NZ) - 31k
Second game (21 Jan vs NZ) - 27k
Third game (23 Jan vs SA) - 44k

And yep - first final in 2000 vs Pakistan was 39k and the first final in 2001 vs WI was 32k. First final in 2005 was 27k. Compared with 75k for the first final in 1989.

So the decline was indeed already there around 2000.

MCG was always going to be the canary in the coal mine for declining ODI interest in Oz because it's capacity meant you didn't have to fear a sell-out.

 

[wagstaff]

fwiw, MCG may have underestimated the crowd today. I am the ground and there are massive lines to any of the few food places within the ground.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Least this will be fun pity we aren’t playing India in these ODI’s

 

[Cleavy]

fwiw, MCG may have underestimated the crowd today. I am the ground and there are massive lines to any of the few food places within the ground.

care to give us a guesstimate of the crowd number?

 

[Around the Wicket]

JFM is just a weekend cowboy

 

[LukeParkerno1]

You hack Short

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Doesn't sound like to many Aussies have turned up to support the Aussies. Sounds like a sub continent crowd.

 

[NYRB]

care to give us a guesstimate of the crowd number?

I’m at ground and bar one section totally blocked , looks around 18,500.

Punt Road end totally chockers.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Doesn't sound like to many Aussies have turned up to support the Aussies. Sounds like a sub continent crowd.

Bad times lot for this game

 

[Plugger35]

A good catch from Pakistan for once, I was expecting that to be dropped.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Bad times lot for this game

Not for the Paki supporters. Just the Aussie fans

 

[NYRB]

I reckon Perth Crowd on Sunday beats this Crowd today.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Not for the Paki supporters. Just the Aussie fans

There’s a certain race tomorrow for Aussies lol

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Now smith can plod half the powerplay can’t wait

 

[JackOutback]

He understands cricket surely. He's not reading the news.

Even if he does have a good analytical mind (and not all cricketers are equal in this regard), I suspect his ability to articulate it is unlikely to be among the best options.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Hey smith used the thing in his hand called a bat unlike his pads