Quick Singles: Gabba pool gone as ground hosts exclusive deck instead

It was one of the most unique and glamorous things about the Gabba during the past two summers of cricket, but the boundary side pool is gone for 2019/20. Will it come back?

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The Gabba’s famous pool is gone – but maybe not forever.

A temporary pool was constructed for the 2017-18 Ashes and remained in place throughout the Big Bash League.

The pool was unique to the Australian cricket summer and a huge hit with those who could score a rare ticket to the area.

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It was removed for the AFL season then returned last summer for the cricket again.

However the pool has not made a return this summer, instead being replaced by a boundary-side deck.

The Gabba pool is no more.

The deck is a much cheaper option that constructing the pool, which costs six figures to install, maintain and remove.

Referred to as the “Boundary Social” area, tickets to the decked area will set you back $100 and get you access to a space being sold as the “Birdcage of cricket”.

The pool won’t be here this summer but there is a chance it could return, most likely for the 2021-22 Ashes series.

IS DAY/NIGHT THE ANSWER?

The jury is out on whether day-night Test cricket is the way forward for the Gabba.

A crowd of 13,561 attended the opening day of the Australia-Pakistan Test match in Brisbane on Thursday.

There were plenty of spare seats at the Gabba. Picture: AAP

Considering it was a Thursday outside of school holidays and Pakistan is lacking any real star power, the crowd wasn’t a disaster by any means.

The last time Pakistan appeared at the Gabba was in 2016 when Brisbane hosted its first-ever day-night Test.

The day one crowd of 26,353 was a sensational turnout, albeit boosted by the novelty factor, and the overall crowd of 78,095 was a record for a non-Ashes Test at the Gabba.

The Gabba hosted a pink ball Test over the Australia Day weekend in January this year and only 13,900 turned out on day one.

The Sri Lanka Test came after India toured Australia while the home side was missing the likes of Steve Smith and David Warner through suspension.

Queensland Cricket wants to host the first Test of the Australian summer but it may need a bit of help to maximise crowds when playing against less popular nations.

THE CASE OF THE MISSING BAGGY GREEN

It wasn’t a smooth start to the day for Aussie opener David Warner.

Warner couldn’t find his baggy green cap before play started and was forced to borrow 12th man Cameron Bancroft’s for the official proceedings, which were held up slightly while he looked for his missing headwear.

Warner later found his cap hiding under the kit bag of teammate Nathan Lyon in the dressing room.

It isn’t the first time Warner has had trouble with the most treasured piece of any Australian Test player’s kit.

On a 2017 tour of Bangladesh, Warner was seen wearing a pristine new Baggy Green after misplacing his own and being forced to request a replacement.

David Warner misplaced his baggy green before the start of the play. Picture: AAP

He struck 112 in the fourth innings of the one match he wore it for, but couldn’t keep it for luck after the missing original was found in a bag by his wife, Candice, when searching their house.

The bag also also contained a captain’s blazer he would have needed had he had to step in for the coin toss as he was then vice-captain to Steve Smith.

HUMBLE ASH ENJOYS GABBA HOSPTALITY

World No.1 Ash Barty has taken a break from the tennis circuit to indulge in one of her other loves – cricket.

Barty was a special guest at the Gabba on Thursday for the opening day of Australia’s Test match against Pakistan.

Barty, 23, finished the year as the world’s top female tennis player after winning the French Open and a record $6.4 million in the WTA Finals.

But Quick Singles was told she was as humble as ever while enjoying the corporate hospitality in the chairman’s lounge at the Gabba.

While Barty had a sensational season on the tennis court, she is also a gun cricketer.

In 2015, while on a break from tennis, Barty embarked on a brief professional cricket career with the Brisbane Heat in the Women’s Big Bash League.

After cracking a century in the local Brisbane competition, Barty was given a shot at the WBBL and scored 39 on debut.

Tennis star Ash Barty found some time to be at the Gabba. Picture: Lachie Millard

The Ipswich royalty decided to return to tennis in 2016 and has gone on to become Australia’s best current player and a grand slam champion.

Barty wasn’t the only Australian sporting star at the Gabba on Thursday.

Olympic gold medallist Sally Pearson was getting around the traps and featured on Channel 7’s lunch show, where she revealed he had something in common with infamous former Aussie cricket Trevor Chappell.

“The first time I ever played cricket I bowled someone out with an underarm bowl,” Pearson said.

“That was my biggest achievement.”

TRIBUTE FOR TONY MANN

If there was ever a match for a nightwatchman to thrive it may be this one.

The Australian players were on Thursday sporting black armbands in memory of former Test cricketer Tony Mann, a popular figure in Western Australian cricket who died last week following a seven-year battle with cancer.

While the leg-spinner only took four wickets in four Tests, he is responsible for one of Australian cricket’s greatest moments.

Mann was the first Australian, and second player ever, to score a Test century as a nightwatchman.

Mann scored 105 against India at the WACA in 1977 batting at first drop. He batted at seven or eight in his other seven Test innings.

Mann’s feat was topped by the great Jason Gillespie in 2006, when the former fast bowler whacked an unbeaten 201 against Bangladesh.

Tony Mann last week lost his battle with cancer.

OPENERS’ RECORD GOES TO WASTE

Pakistan set a new batting record at the Gabba on Thursday.

The opening partnership between Azhar Ali and Shan Masood of 75 was the highest first innings opening stand by a visiting team at the Gabba.

Ali and Masood broke the previous mark of 64 by New Zealand in 1980.

But it looked like it was all for nothing when they were dismissed in quick succession and Pakistan lost 4-3 to slump to 4-78.

The New Zealand stand didn’t fair much better as they went on to suffer a 10-wicket loss.

The best opening partnership by a visiting team at the Gabba belongs to England’s Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss, who put on 188 in the second innings of the drawn test of 2010.