‘It’s a disgrace’: Cricket fans call for compensation after first Test ends in less than three days at Adelaide Oval
Furious fans have demanded compensation after the first Test at Adelaide Oval ended in record time – with almost three days to spare.
City
Don't miss out on the headlines from City. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Furious cricket fans have demanded compensation after the first Test at Adelaide Oval ended just two hours into the third day, becoming the shortest in the city’s history.
SACA members and the general public lashed Cricket Australia for the scheduling of the clash, which saw the world champion Australians take on cricketing minnows the West Indies in a daytime Test.
Despite the early finish, almost 17,000 people flocked through the gates, many of them angered by the lacklustre contest.
Glenn Forbes, 56, said he believed all SACA members should be entitled to some form of reimbursement.
“The fact they’ve given us the West Indies is a disgrace,” he said.
“This is the greatest ground in Australia so why are we playing against them?”
New SACA member Daniel Magin, 31, said he found it hard to justify his $700 first-year membership fee.
“You’re weighing it up like, is the money heaps worth it?”, the 31-year-old said.
Grace Gilbert, 35, was unable to attend the first two days and was upset that the action was cut short before lunch on Friday. She called for a return to day-night Test cricket.
“The nice thing about a day/night test during the week is that you could go after work whereas this week we’ve all been stuck (at work) and haven’t been able to come out the last few days,” she said.
In a survey conducted by the Advertiser on Wednesday, 75.3 per cent of fans were in favour of a day/night Test every year, while 61 per cent preferred the Test to be played in December as opposed to January.
Joshua Richardson, 18, was another fan outraged by the result, as Australia strolled to victory before a ball could be bowled on the weekend.
“I want to be here for every day that they offer it to me. If it finishes early, that’s not ideal,” he said.
It took just 1112 balls and 185.2 overs for the Aussies to claim victory over the West Indies, but Mr Magin is optimistic that the next few years will reward high-paying SACA members.
“That’s just sort of cricket I think,” he said.
“Next year might go for five days so you can’t really get too disgruntled.”
Cricket Australia will reward Adelaide with day-night Tests against both India and England in 2024 and 2025 respectively after the SACA raised concerns about scheduling around Australia.
Cricket Australia chief, Nick Hockley, told SEN on Thursday that he would be working to make some official announcements regarding the next few seasons in the “not-too-distant future”.
“The next two summers revert back to five Tests against India and then England with the last Test being the New Year’s Test,” he said.
SA footy legend fears coaches are playing down concussion
A former Port Adelaide chief executive and Norwood playing great says some amateur footy coaches are risking players’ health with their handling of concussion.
Wild scenes as strange display halts play in Test’s first day
It garnered some laughter, some boos, and a point from a stunned batsman as a strange display halted play. Meet Adelaide’s next superhero, beer snake man.