SACA chief executive Keith Bradshaw gives Adelaide Strikers BBL09 fixture a big-(ish) bashing
Cricket Australia has unveiled its shortened fixture for the ninth season of the BBL. But a disappointed SACA chief says it presents some ‘hurdles’ and ‘challenges’ for the popular Adelaide Strikers.
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As Cricket Australia unveiled its revamped fixture for BBL09 at the MCG this morning, SACA’s chief executive Keith Bradshaw has expressed disappointment in the “hurdles” and “challenges” that have been handed to the Adelaide Strikers — the most supported team in the BBL — inside the draw.
Bradshaw said the Strikers had been scheduled five afternoon games — three of those at Adelaide Oval — instead of prime, night-time matches, which presented challenges particularly for families.
“We’ve been very focused on families attending the Big Bash, so there are certainly challenges in this fixture list that I appreciate for mums and dads who are working, to get off work, get the family together and come to Adelaide Oval,” he said.
But he said SACA would now move forward and invest heavily in making the games as successful as possible.
“Whilst I’m disappointed in the fixture and the fact that in developing the fixture list Cricket Australia have put some hurdles up in front of us, I’m still confident that our passionate supporters will come along in numbers and support the Strikers,” he told The Advertiser.
“We are the most supported team in the league. To some degree it feels as if we’re being penalised for our success.”
He added: “Of our seven home games, three are afternoon games. I would like to have thought we would have had more evening games, in line with some of the Eastern states teams.”
The Strikers will open their BBL09 campaign against the Sydney Thunder on Saturday, December 21 and play 14 games in total.
They will play seven home games at Adelaide Oval including two high-profile matches: the traditional clash on New Year’s Eve, and for the first time a BBL game on Australia Day.
The SACA boss said the Strikers had the highest three-year average attendance numbers of any of the eight BBL teams at 36,944 and were also number one for total attendance at 1,237,000 (the Melbourne Stars, who play at the MCG, come second with 34,326 and 1,156,000 respectively), and yet despite that had been handed timeslots that could prove challenging for Adelaide supporters.
Bradshaw said Cricket Australia went through various iterations before it arrived at the final fixture and SACA had made its objections known throughout that process.
He was frank in how the Strikers would handle the fixture going forward.
“It is what it is,” he said.
“And we’ll come up with some innovative solutions … we’ll be investing quite heavily in doing the best that we can to make those games as successful as possible, but also appreciating the challenges that the fixture presents to our passionate supporters.”
Bradshaw said those initiatives — which SACA will unveil soon — would be around making the games as accommodating as possible for families.
But the fixture certainly has its highlights, including a game against the Hobart Hurricanes on Australia Day and the New Year’s Eve clash, which will be against Sydney Thunder.
“New Year’s Eve has become quite an iconic match,” Bradshaw said, adding this would be the seventh consecutive year the Strikers would play on December 31.
“It’s as much an event as it is a cricket match … I’d like to think it has become an event that people now attend on a yearly basis.
“So as part of our negotiations we work very hard to continue to have that game. That’s been against a backdrop of other states wanting to secure that match away from us, but we’ve obviously managed to keep that.
“I believe we have the most passionate fans who support us amazingly well. But also, hope that we put on a good show for them, on and off the field.
“Despite the hurdles, we know our fans will still turn up for seven games at Adelaide Oval this season.”
Bradshaw also welcomed the shortened season, praising Cricket Australia for listening to feedback from fans, as well as revamping the finals series that will see the top five teams qualify for finals, with the top two teams securing a second chance.
ADELAIDE STRIKERS FIXTURE 2019/20:
Saturday, December 21, 2019
v Sydney Thunder (Thunder venue TBC), 6.10pm
Monday, December 23, 2019
v Perth Scorchers, Adelaide Oval, 6.40pm
Friday, December 27, 2019
v Melbourne Stars, Metricon Stadium, 6.10pm
Sunday, December 29, 2019
v Melbourne Renegades, Marvel Stadium, 7.10pm
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
v Sydney Thunder, Adelaide Oval, 6.40pm
Sunday, January 5, 2020
v Sydney Sixers, (Sixers venue TBC), 6.40pm
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
v Sydney Sixers, Adelaide Oval, 3.10pm
Sunday, January 12, 2020
v Melbourne Renegades, Adelaide Oval, 3.10pm
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
v Brisbane Heat, Gabba, 2.40pm
Friday, January 17, 2020
v Brisbane Heat, Adelaide Oval, 3.10pm
Sunday, January 19, 2020
v Hobart Hurricanes, UTAS Stadium, 2.45pm
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
v Melbourne Stars, Adelaide Oval, 6.40pm
Friday, January 24, 2020
v Perth Scorchers, Optus Stadium, 6.10pm
Sunday, January 26, 2020
v Hobart Hurricanes, Adelaide Oval, 6.40pm
FINALS SERIES:
The Eliminator
4th v 5th
Thursday, January 30, 2020
The Qualifier
1st v 2nd
Friday, January 31, 2020
The Knockout
3rd v Winner of the Eliminator
Saturday, February 1, 2020
The Challenger
Loser of the Qualifier v Winner of the Knockout
Thursday, February 6, 2020
The Final
Winner of the Qualifier v Winner of the Challenger
Saturday, February 8, 2020