After several days of wallowing in self-misery over the sudden (yet hopefully brief) downslide of English cricket, I decided to switch my attention to the Australian T20's. My intention was initially to be brisk, as it should be for any English supporter delving into the world down under, yet I felt instantly rejuvinated from the dire situation in Dubai, and couldn't help but put the remote control down and settle into what was a brand of cricket that I haven't feasted my eyes upon before.
Twenty20 cricket in itself is an exciting form of the game. We are all now accustomed to it, and with the introduction of official ICC T20 rankings, it is now an integral part of any cricketing calender. It is an argument for another time as to whether or not it questions the necessity of ODI's and threatens the autonomy of test cricket. But what I'm almost celebrating if you like, is excitement on another level; an explosive, inticing form of the game that I'm only familiar with on the football field. The Aussies (I say with gritted teeth) have started a new brand of T20 cricket.
The crowds- a vital ingredient to the atmosphere of Australian T20 cricket
At first I thought it was just me to have caught on to the efforts of the Aussies in making it as exciting as posssible, but then my thoughts were confirmed when I saw that the Nine Network's ratings had shot up to an incredible 1.46 viewers for the first T20 between Australia and India. Needless to say I wasn't surprised. Here's why-
It all started with the Big Bash league. Why would this league be any different or anymore exciting to domestic T20 competitions in England or South Africa? Well firstly I think branding and advertisement has a lot to do with it. The 'Big Bash' already creates quite an exciting identity, contrary to South Africa's frighteningly unoriginal 'One Day Cup' and 'T20 Challenge Cup'. Its broadcasting range is also very impressive. I managed to watch coverage of it in Dubai as well as back here in South Africa. Every game was shown live. But this range must be because the likes of OSN and SuperSport saw potential in the League to draw interest, and you can't blame them for believing so.
"Not even I can do that" -Virender Sehwag
It is quite simply, 3 hours of solid entertainment. The stadiums, usually packed to the brim, are quite literally set alight. The players don't just walk out on to the pitch, they sprint on after their names are called out on the overhead speaker. You don't just hear the latest chart topper echoing the ground after a boundary, you are welcomed by bursts of flame and the blaring of rock music every over, sometimes every ball. You don't just get the occassional Mexican wave from the crowd, you get English Premier League-esque dedication chants, and everyone is involved. If you choose to leave the stadium to watch it on TV, you will be watching the 7th most popular programme in subscription television history.
So you can imagine how this transcended on the international stage. Imagine the Big Bash League, just even bigger. The game drew 59,659 spectators, surpassing the previous Sydney Cricket Ground record in 1928. Of course it must have been a fantastic experience to have been at one of the games, but the television experience certainly beat Nasser Hussain yapping away at his know-it-all remarks to an empty stadium in Dubai. The Aussie trio of Ian Healy, Mark Slater and Bill Lawry radiated off the atmosphere of the SCG, creating excitement and intensity in often ominous situations throughout the match. Even the camera angles were refreshing and intriguing. The 'spider cam', introduced for the test series, created a 'feel like you're there' situation. David Warner, the current darling of T20 cricket, added to the atmosphere with a pioneering switch hit six.
T20 cricket was introduced in England to bring in something to combat what was becoming an increasingly monotonous 50 over format. I believe Australia have hit new peaks in this format, and countries like England and South Africa should take a leaf out of the Aussie's books. Stop worrying about the demise of the 50 over game. If it deteriorates, so be it. Bring life to the 20 over format that only the Aussies have found so far.
Twenty20 cricket in itself is an exciting form of the game. We are all now accustomed to it, and with the introduction of official ICC T20 rankings, it is now an integral part of any cricketing calender. It is an argument for another time as to whether or not it questions the necessity of ODI's and threatens the autonomy of test cricket. But what I'm almost celebrating if you like, is excitement on another level; an explosive, inticing form of the game that I'm only familiar with on the football field. The Aussies (I say with gritted teeth) have started a new brand of T20 cricket.
The crowds- a vital ingredient to the atmosphere of Australian T20 cricket
At first I thought it was just me to have caught on to the efforts of the Aussies in making it as exciting as posssible, but then my thoughts were confirmed when I saw that the Nine Network's ratings had shot up to an incredible 1.46 viewers for the first T20 between Australia and India. Needless to say I wasn't surprised. Here's why-
It all started with the Big Bash league. Why would this league be any different or anymore exciting to domestic T20 competitions in England or South Africa? Well firstly I think branding and advertisement has a lot to do with it. The 'Big Bash' already creates quite an exciting identity, contrary to South Africa's frighteningly unoriginal 'One Day Cup' and 'T20 Challenge Cup'. Its broadcasting range is also very impressive. I managed to watch coverage of it in Dubai as well as back here in South Africa. Every game was shown live. But this range must be because the likes of OSN and SuperSport saw potential in the League to draw interest, and you can't blame them for believing so.
"Not even I can do that" -Virender Sehwag
It is quite simply, 3 hours of solid entertainment. The stadiums, usually packed to the brim, are quite literally set alight. The players don't just walk out on to the pitch, they sprint on after their names are called out on the overhead speaker. You don't just hear the latest chart topper echoing the ground after a boundary, you are welcomed by bursts of flame and the blaring of rock music every over, sometimes every ball. You don't just get the occassional Mexican wave from the crowd, you get English Premier League-esque dedication chants, and everyone is involved. If you choose to leave the stadium to watch it on TV, you will be watching the 7th most popular programme in subscription television history.
So you can imagine how this transcended on the international stage. Imagine the Big Bash League, just even bigger. The game drew 59,659 spectators, surpassing the previous Sydney Cricket Ground record in 1928. Of course it must have been a fantastic experience to have been at one of the games, but the television experience certainly beat Nasser Hussain yapping away at his know-it-all remarks to an empty stadium in Dubai. The Aussie trio of Ian Healy, Mark Slater and Bill Lawry radiated off the atmosphere of the SCG, creating excitement and intensity in often ominous situations throughout the match. Even the camera angles were refreshing and intriguing. The 'spider cam', introduced for the test series, created a 'feel like you're there' situation. David Warner, the current darling of T20 cricket, added to the atmosphere with a pioneering switch hit six.
T20 cricket was introduced in England to bring in something to combat what was becoming an increasingly monotonous 50 over format. I believe Australia have hit new peaks in this format, and countries like England and South Africa should take a leaf out of the Aussie's books. Stop worrying about the demise of the 50 over game. If it deteriorates, so be it. Bring life to the 20 over format that only the Aussies have found so far.
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