Cricket sale makes sense

Cricket Tasmania’s decision to sell its seventh BBL game to the Northern Territory makes sense.

Cricket Tasmania CEO Nick Cummins. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

CRICKET Tasmania’s decision to sell its seventh BBL game to the Northern Territory makes sense. While the decision will no doubt upset a number of fans who enjoyed attending the additional game granted to Hobart last year, the rationale for the decision is a solid one.

As Cricket Tasmania boss Nick Cummins explains, the experience from last season is that — even when the Hurricanes are leading the competition — having two fixtures within just a few days over the Christmas-New Year period in Hobart (sadly) does not work. Mr Cummins says that last year, it simply “split the crowd” — with 6000 attending each of the two games that were butted up against each other in Hobart, instead of the 12,000 attendance anticipated if there had been just one fixture. And that means Cricket Tasmania makes a loss on both the games, with the break-even point at something like 8000 paying fans.

So, instead, Cricket Tasmania has accepted an approach from the Northern Territory Government to play one of the games — likely against a Sydney team — in Alice Springs. And instead of losing money on two games, it will deliver a large (not disclosed) profit.

Mr Cummins says that cash will be spent on three things: an ongoing commitment to CA’s $200,000 investment in community cricket infrastructure across Tasmania (nets, wickets, changerooms), additional staff for the elite women’s program, and a refurbishment ahead of this summer of the Century Room in the Members stand at Bellerive — to deliver younger members a social club experience that the arena currently lacks. These are all positive developments.

Another positive outcome will be the potential to build the Hurricanes brand among cricket fans in the Northern Territory, which does not have a team in the BBL. This, and the wider growing connection between Cricket Tasmania and its NT equivalent, is also a good thing. Hopefully it’s a partnership that can unearth more players such as D’Arcy Short, and connect them into the Tassie program as youngsters. The concept of the NT being a winter training base for Tasmanian players, and vice versa in summer also makes sense when you consider our very distinctive climates.

Finally, the Mercury also backs the plan to turn the Alice Springs fixture into a celebration and recognition of indigenous culture. Again, that D’Arcy Short is a proud indigenous man only strengthens this plan. And recognising the enduring strength of Tasmania’s indigenous culture on a national stage is something nobody could argue against.

There will be a small group of passionate and genuine fans disappointed with this decision. It will also no doubt be a decision smashed on social media by an even larger group of armchair critics. And in some respects they do have a point. For instance, the couple of thousand local cricket fans who enjoyed being able to attend an additional BBL game in Hobart last summer have every right to be upset. But, again, last summer was the only season in the eight BBLs played so far where Hobart actually hosted a fifth game. And at the end of the day, the BBL is a professional sport. It exists to make money. And so if Cricket Tasmania can prove to these fans that they have turned a loss-making venture into one that makes cash to be reinvested in the sport and the facility they love, then Mr Cummins and his board should be able to win the argument.