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Thread: Big bash lessons for AFL

  1. #13
    I think that the scheduling is a huge part of the success as someone said earlier in the thread. The casual or non cricket fan might watch 5 games in a week on their summer holiday nights ( let's face it, their ain't much else on the box) and all of a sudden they get into it. It's a lot more action compressed into a smaller package, there's bright colours and flashing stumps, it's visually attractive. I love it, but test cricket is my favourite. It also comes at a time when people are having major sporting withdrawals ( afl and league and union fans are anyway) and are craving something to watch of a night time. I sincerely doubt its popularity is rooted in its fairness. " hey, that big bash seems to have a more even fixture than the afl, let's all tune in ever night and pack out the MCG for a domestic cricket match to show our support for a fair sporting fixture" . Said no one ever

  2. #14
    Go Swannies! Site Admin Meg's Avatar
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    I agree that the scheduling is a key reason in BBL's popularity, but that also means BBL is not entirely 'fair' as the timing is when some of the best players are not available to play for their franchises. The Sydney Sixers, whom I notionally support, are most affected by this with Smith, Starc (injured anyway but the principle remains), Hazlehurst and Lyon (most of the time) not available. Mind you I don't understand why they were contracted by the Sixers given it should have be known they would not be able to play.

    I am a big cricket fan and go to a lot of matches at the SCG, but am luke-warm about the BBL. I have the TV on in the background with half an eye on the games but I don't go to the matches, the noise and hoopla annoy me. But I happily concede it has been a huge success in attracting families with children and certainly hope this translates to an interest in traditional cricket. And following on from one-day cricket 20/20 cricket has certainly played a role in improving cricketers' skills, e.g. 'death' bowling and the art of bowling yorkers.

    One thing that has really impressed me though has been the success and popularity of the Women's BBL. The AFL might be looking to this for some lessons as they crank up their plans to introduce a women's AFL competition.

  3. #15
    Go Swannies! Site Admin Meg's Avatar
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    I think another key reason for BBL's popularity is the high scoring in a short time-frame. The high scoring is facilitated by changes in the traditional cricket rules. For example, fielding placement restrictions, limiting bowlers to a maximum of four overs, a free hit for the batter following a no-ball. In this sense 20/20 cricket is a sub-set of traditional cricket. Although some are now arguing it might supersede traditional cricket there is still a big interest in test matches when the teams are evenly matched.

    Perhaps the more obvious comparison for the AFL is rugby sevens in which traditional rugby rules have been modified to enable faster play and much higher scoring in short matches. Perhaps there might be a model there for the AFL to develop a sub-set of traditional footy. I don't know much about either rugby or rugby sevens, but from what I've read, however, the sevens is now moving away from being a feeder into traditional rugby into being a stand-alone game (which entry into the Olympics will surely further encourage).

  4. #16
    Go Swannies! Site Admin Meg's Avatar
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    One other lesson that might be taken from the BBL is the support that has developed this year for the Sydney Thunder. Of course winning always helps (pity about tonight). But the other thing that occurs to me is that this year the Thunder have a largish number of players with whom western Sydney-ers might identify, which is conducive to gaining support for a game that people might not have previously followed. Sandhu, Cummins, Lalor, Doran and Beadle all have "Westie" backgrounds - plus Khawaja, Ahmed, Beadle and Sandhu come from cultural backgrounds which are highly representative of western Sydney.

    However for the AFL/GWS to move in this direction, they first have to have a high number of AFL-level, competitive, local young players to recruit. Hence the critical importance of building a successful GWS academy.

  5. #17
    Certainly the Spotless Stadium cricket crowds have smashed the GWS crowds

  6. #18
    The reasons big bash is flying is simply because its affordable, there is no one-city bias, and the entertainment is compacted into a short time frame.
    The AFL has none of these, and that makes it vunerable.

  7. #19
    Veterans List aardvark's Avatar
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    Flash in the pan fad sport that will die a sad death in a few years.

  8. #20
    Carpe Noctem CureTheSane's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by aardvark View Post
    Flash in the pan fad sport that will die a sad death in a few years.
    Just want to save that quote to use on this thread in a few years' time
    The difference between insanity and genius is measured only in success.

  9. #21
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    I don't quite get the premise of the debate. A bit like comparing post-punk with deep funk. Both have their merits but few similarities. More pertinent is the threat to test cricket from BBL. Test cricket, primarily through the doctoring of pitches to assist the host bowlers, is shooting itself in the foot. Fans are switching off now that sides are regularly amassing 3-605 first innings scorelines. The administration is so keen to create pitches that ensure a 5-day match so that it will produce 5 days of gate takings that they are instead producing bore-fests. Too many tests have become pointless. Further, its talent pool is being drained by the IPL, the BBL and other money-spinning initiatives. Probably because players aren't that inspired by playing before a fifth day crowd comprising 43 drunks and a small dog.

    While the BBL has enjoyed nascent success it will be interesting to see if it can be sustained. It took a few short decades for the 50 over format to become predictable, and BBL may go the same way. Essentially, what we have is a Stock - Aitken - Waterman version of cricket, i.e. 20 overs of choruses. Lots of great batting and fielding (though its rare that everyone gets a bat), but the poor bowler is becoming the fall guy in all of this, the clown riding in on a unicycle blasting his horn. I am concerned as to what the future holds for the craft of bowling. My son is finally causing a bit of havoc with the ball (bowls a bit like Travis Head, shame he doesn't bat like him also) so not sure how things will pan out for him in the long term.

    BBL seems to be nudging the line between sport and entertainment, and its probably the entertainment side that is attracting the new fans. Personally I can do without the sideline interviews, the bum-scrunching relentless Nova songs, and dare I say it, the mediocre commentary. If I hear Damien Fleming say Mr Cricket one more time I will be forced to place a metal bucket on his head and bang it with a stick.
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  10. #22
    I think you'll find T20 is here to stay. Its been around quite a while, and the IPL and other big-bash like leagues are all very healthy.

    test cricket is dead really. While the traditionalists bemoan the state of West Indies cricket, I actually think they are forward thinking. West Indies are the world T20 champs. There players dominate big bash, IPL. For a poor country with limited cricket resources, they have targetted (conciously or not) the most lucrative part of cricket.
    They dont have the financial luxury of playing tests infront of half a dozen fans.

  11. #23
    McVeigh for Brownlow Site Admin RogueSwan's Avatar
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    I have hardly noticed the BBL, I would struggle to name any team other than the Sydney Sixers. I know there are Scorchers, Star, Rebels, Thunder but I don't know the cities they are based in.
    No one in my family, circle of friends or work colleagues evens mentions to game. I only know it is on when it interrupts my viewing of The Project :-).
    "Fortunately, this is the internet, so knowing nothing is no obstacle to having an opinion!." Beerman 18-07-2017

  12. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by barry View Post
    I think you'll find T20 is here to stay. Its been around quite a while, and the IPL and other big-bash like leagues are all very healthy.

    test cricket is dead really. While the traditionalists bemoan the state of West Indies cricket, I actually think they are forward thinking. West Indies are the world T20 champs. There players dominate big bash, IPL. For a poor country with limited cricket resources, they have targetted (conciously or not) the most lucrative part of cricket.
    They dont have the financial luxury of playing tests infront of half a dozen fans.
    This is another issue for West Indian cricket. The West Indies is not actually a country, rather a group of nations, mostly small island states, Guyana being the exception here. Therefore the desire to represent one's country is to a large extent diluted. Certainly, the lure of setting oneself up through a few seasons in the IPL would be a strong incentive.
    It's very hard to live in a studio apartment in San Jose with a man who's learning to play violin. That's what she told the police when she handed them the empty revolver.
    The Scarlatti Tilt - Richard Brautigan

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