Australia vs India cricket: SCG Test organisers hope for 50 per cent crowds

Cricket and government powerbrokers are fighting to hold onto the city’s iconic Test, as Melbourne eye a poaching raid.

Australian captain Tim Paine after the SCG Test in January. Picture: AAP

NSW officials are holding out hope of 50 per cent crowds at the SCG should the Sydney Test be sensationally saved.

Cricket and government powerbrokers are fighting tooth and nail to hold onto the city’s iconic New Year’s Test with the belief that tens of thousands of fans will still be allowed to attend despite the current COVID outbreak on the Northern Beaches.

It comes as MCG officials talked bullishly about being able to increase its 30,000 limit for the Boxing Day Test should Melbourne take custody of Sydney’s third Test starting on January 7.

NSW Health has recorded daily live case numbers of 8, 8, 9, 7, 9 since last Tuesday, and the flat lining of numbers isn’t necessarily helping to expedite the process of making a call on whether the SCG can hold onto its Test, with Cricket Australia putting down a deadline of Wednesday for a final decision.

If numbers spiked then the decision to move the Test to Melbourne would be made for them, just as if they halved in number, it might make the critical border crossing discussions with the Queensland Government – about how to get from Sydney to Brisbane to finish the series – a little easier.

However, the fact NSW Health does appear to have a steady grip on the situation at least makes officials confident that if the Test is saved, it will be well worth it for a crowd of up to 19,000 a day to be able to attend.

Sources say even higher crowd numbers could be possible at the SCG depending on how the city manages to navigate through the challenge of New Year’s Eve celebrations in the midst of a pandemic – although the opposite could be true if there was evidence the virus has spread.

Northern Beaches residents would be banned from attending the Test unless the current lockout ended.

The A-League are pushing to have 50 per cent capacity for a Western Sydney Wanderers derby clash against Macarthur FC at Bankwest Stadium on December 30, in a huge plus for Sydney’s cricket hopes.

“That’s something we’re discussing actively now with the NSW Government,” said CA interim chief executive, Nick Hockley.

“We’re watching and learning from what other sports are doing.

“… Currently the advice and guidance we’re getting is that we will be able to have a crowd.

“Something extraordinary would have to happen in the next few days to change that. The fact case numbers have come down and are relatively low is what gives us confidence that we will be able to play in Sydney with crowds.”

The positive crowd estimations are a massive boost for Sydney’s hopes, because the lengths CA are going to in negotiations with the Queensland Government would seem a waste if the SCG was bracing for a locked out stadium.

The SCG had a 50 per cent capacity for three of the four limited overs internationals it held at the start of the summer, and the atmosphere was still lively with crowds in excess of 17,000.

NSW officials are privately praising the job being done by CA’s interim chief Hockley and Chairman Earl Eddings to pull off the great Sydney save.

CA powerbrokers will hold an important meeting on Sunday to update on how ongoing talks with the Queensland Government are progressing.

Cricket bosses need to ascertain over the next 24-48 hours exactly what Annastacia Palaszczuk’s Government would require a ‘broadcast bubble’ to look like to satisfy them that 100s of TV staffers should be allowed to cross the NSW-Queensland border to finish the series.

CA has committed to Brisbane being the fourth Test, so for Sydney to work, administrators need to be guaranteed that not only the teams, but critical broadcast staff could receive exemptions.

The Queensland Government has suggested the idea of a broadcast bubble, but details are needed on what the guidelines would be and whether or not the TV staffers would be locked down as tightly as the Australian and Indian teams.