Andrew Southcott (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The first day-night Test has just finished in Adelaide, and it was a roaring success. Attendance over the three days saw 124,000 people show up. These are the biggest crowds since the bodyline series in 1933. On average, more than 40,000 people attended the Adelaide Test daily, compared with 10,000 each day at the Brisbane Test. In recent years, it has become clear that support for cricket in Adelaide is strong. On a per capita basis, we have easily the highest attendance rate in the country. At the risk of starting a small war within the halls of parliament, I think Cricket Australia need to take a hard look at attendance numbers and facilities in other states when scheduling future events. The crowd numbers at the Gabba and the WACA are pathetic. The crowd numbers are not up to scratch and nor are the stadiums. I therefore call on Cricket Australia—and I am sure that, in the spirit of bipartisanship, South Australian Labor members will join me in this call; I see the member for Makin standing there—to recognise the strong support for cricket in Adelaide and start making scheduling decisions accordingly. Instead of playing international matches in empty stadiums, Cricket Australia should have held a one-day international in Adelaide this summer.

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