Nothing screamed "Canberra's second Test" more than the empty stands at Perth's new, you-beaut stadium.
It's such a good stadium that for the second year running Sandgropers have stayed away from Australia's opening Test of the summer in droves.
The official crowd for the first day's play between Australia and Pakistan was just 15,671 - although it looked like there could've been a fair bit of mayo propping up that number.
To be fair to West Aussies, that's almost 50 per cent more than bothered to rock up last year to watch Australia take on the West Indies - when just 10,929 were there for the opening day of the summer.
Cricket fans in Adelaide had every right to be furious when Cricket Australia decided to give Perth a Pakistan Test this summer, lumping them instead with the West Indies again for the second year in a row.
Perth's total crowd from five day's play last year was just 42,447 - almost 10,000 less than what piled through Adelaide's turnstiles in the opening two days.
While WA's paltry numbers have South Aussies furious, they should also have Canberrans hopeful.
Manuka Oval has a capacity of 13,550 - meaning a day-one sellout wouldn't be far off the crowd Perth's producing.
But a packed Manuka would look far better than an empty Perth Stadium.
It's not just about getting a one-off Test next summer either.
Canberrans and the ACT government should be licking their lips at the prospect of becoming a regular Test venue in future years.
The Gabba's potentially set to undergo a $2.7 billion rebuild that will see it out of action for four years from 2025 - although the resignation of Annastacia Palaszczuk as Queensland premier has put the oval's redevelopment in doubt.
Premier-to-be Steven Miles "paused" the redevelopment, which was part of the Queensland government's 2032 Olympic Games plans, on Wednesday.
Apparently it's not only the Victorian government that thinks it was spending too much money to host a major event, with the Victorians pulling out of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
But regardless of what happens with the Gabba, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr should be throwing on a cowboy hat and spurs and shouting, "Giddy up".
The ACT government's currently in the process of putting together a package to take to Cricket Australia of what games they'd like going forward.
That should definitely involve a pitch for Test match cricket.
The Tasmanian government would be fools if they weren't now doing the same.
Canberra's only ever hosted the one Test - Australia's 366-run victory over Sri Lanka in 2019 - when 30,822 fans flocked through the gates for a match that finished early on day four.
Pathetic Perth crowds should mean the second one, and even third, shouldn't be far off.
Covering the Raiders, Cavalry, cycling and racing, plus everything else that involves sport in the ACT, for The Canberra Times. Basically I love sport and watching it is a full-time job. Email: david.polkinghorne@canberratimes.com.au
Covering the Raiders, Cavalry, cycling and racing, plus everything else that involves sport in the ACT, for The Canberra Times. Basically I love sport and watching it is a full-time job. Email: david.polkinghorne@canberratimes.com.au
Pathetic Perth crowds open door for Canberra Tests
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1
15.12.2023
Nothing screamed "Canberra's second Test" more than the empty stands at Perth's new, you-beaut stadium.
It's such a good stadium that for the second year running Sandgropers have stayed away from Australia's opening Test of the summer in droves.
The official crowd for the first day's play between Australia and Pakistan was just 15,671 - although it looked like there could've been a fair bit of mayo propping up that number.
To be fair to West Aussies, that's almost 50 per cent more than bothered to rock up last year to watch Australia take on the West Indies - when just 10,929 were there for the opening day of the summer.
Cricket fans in Adelaide had every right to be furious when Cricket Australia decided to give Perth a Pakistan Test this summer, lumping them instead with the West Indies again for the........
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