Premier Peter Malinauskas ignites firestorms over ambulance hospital ramping and Adelaide Oval Test cricket fixture

Premier Peter Malinauskas delivered some bouncers to cricket authorities over Adelaide Test scheduling – and copped a few in return, writes Paul Starick.

Like many South Australian cricket fans, Premier Peter Malinauskas was seething when he saw the dismal crowds at Perth’s pre-Christmas Test match.

An SA Cricket Association member since he was a young boy, Mr Malinauskas has often been spotted at Adelaide Oval’s celebrated Village Green food and drink area – before he achieved high office.

Mr Malinauskas was infuriated about Adelaide’s now-traditional pre-Christmas Test being diverted to Perth and, instead, a match against the lowly West Indies scheduled for mid-January.

So, when The Advertiser sought his opinion on Wednesday, Mr Malinauskas opened up his shoulders and let loose some lusty verbal blows.

His incendiary comments targeting the game’s governing body, Cricket Australia, were clever politics but also opened him up to another onslaught of taunts about his government’s failure, thus far, to keep its election promise to fix the ambulance ramping crisis. This will continue to hound him until, by some miracle, voters believe the health system is operating smoothly and effectively.

Ramping at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in July, 2020. Picture supplied by Ambulance Employees Association.

Mr Malinauskas needed to change the conversation away from the pre-Christmas crime wave that sparked widespread alarm and heaped pressure on his government and police to be tougher on convicted criminals and do more to support people with mental illness.

As one Advertiser.com.au commenter said: “Park your ego, Mali, and start delivering on your political promises eg ramping, domestic violence, soaring costs, increased public servant numbers, cost blowouts and record government debt.”

It is, of course, possible for leaders to walk and chew gum at the same time, as the popular saying goes.

Australians have a great affection for sport, which engenders much of our national and state pride. Witness the extraordinary outpouring of support for the Matildas, or the hammer blow to SA’s collective self-esteem when Victoria stole the Grand Prix in the mid-1990s.

Australian Formula One Grand Prix race, the last held at the Adelaide street circuit on November 12, 1995. Williams-Renault driver Damon Hill heads to an easy win.

Mr Malinauskas tapped into this parochialism by lining up Cricket Australia for its dismal scheduling at Adelaide Oval this summer.

The Premier condemned the “complete and utter disgrace” of starting the Test on a Wednesday, when many people would have to work.

“Cricket Australia really gave us a kick in the guts by giving us West Indies two years in a row, starting the Test on a Wednesday and prioritising Perth. Well, look how that turned out for them,” Mr Malinauskas said.

“ … Cricket Australia cannot take the South Australian fee-paying public for granted any longer.”

The 2022 day/night Adelaide Test against the West Indies lasted little more than three days, so many fans are worried, understandably, that the match won’t make the weekend. The Adelaide Test faces stiff competition for patrons and TV viewers from the Australian Open tennis, in Melbourne.

Spectators in the crowd enjoy the atmosphere during day three of the second Test match in the Ashes series between Australia and England at Adelaide Oval on December 18, 2021. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Coupled with the ongoing challenges facing Test cricket and the complications of Australian opening batter Usman Khawaja’s protest ban, Cricket Australia was an easy target.

As another Advertiser.com.au commenter said: “Sport is an important issue for some. It brings money into the state, which could go to issues like ramping.”

An Advertiser.com.au poll with more than 2100 respondents asking if people were going to the Adelaide Test this summer found 72 per cent agreed with the statement: “West Indies midweek in mid-January? No, thanks.”

A federal Newspoll published on December 26 found SA had the highest primary support for Labor of any state, at 38 per cent. It’s a fair bet this is underpinned by ongoing support for Mr Malinauskas, even if he has taken some hits over ramping and crime.

As his government nears midterm, the challenge remains for the Liberals to pepper him with decent bouncers if they hope to dismiss him at the 2026 election.

Opposition Leader David Speirs has had a decent year but Mr Malinauskas is comfortable enough at the crease and will be tricky to dislodge.