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Attendance Up For Adelaide's Day-Night Test Featuring Pink Ball

After the first day-night Test and the introduction of "the most daring innovation the game has ever seen," two days have "already provided enough evidence to suggest that the pink ball could well be here to stay -- if for no other reason than the fact that it’s hard to argue with the numbers," according to Martin Johnson of the SUNDAY TIMES. The longest form of the game "might be alive and well in England," but elsewhere around the world the takings after five days would "not so much involve transferring the money to the bank via an armoured van as a biscuit tin." However, Adelaide has not seen attendances like this since the "infamous" '32-33 Bodyline tour. There were 47,441 people inside the Adelaide Oval on Friday, which was more than the entire five-day attendance for the previous match in Perth, with another 41,000 ground on Saturday, and similar numbers forecast for Sunday. The "potential pitfalls predicted before the game" have not materialized either. The pink ball has "not been hard to pick up." Neither has it "deteriorated as feared." The day-night format "has also introduced new phrases into the game’s lexicon, such as the dinner break and the twilight ticket" (SUNDAY TIMES, 11/29). In London, Matthew Engel reported it was a "memorable weekend" in the 138-year history of int'l cricket. The crowd averaged 41,000 per day; "prime time and novelty value bumped up the TV ratings." First impressions were favorable, "even ecstatic" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 11/29).

FLASH IN THE PAN?: In Sydney, Andrew Faulkner reported the Test ratings "have been excellent, but CA and Channel 9 have to weigh up if three days of very high ratings are better than five days of middling numbers." Nine’s audience peaked at 1.9 million nationally for day two. As with traditional local tests, Nine’s audience grew on the first two days from the first session through to the final session with the final session on Saturday night averaging 1.019 million viewers in the five capital cities. The final session peaked with 1.943 million viewers nationally. The second session "had a metro average of 948,000 and the first session 672,000 viewers" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 11/30).

BRISBANE PADS UP: In Auckland, David Leggat reported the day-night test charge "is gathering pace with Brisbane expected to host a pink ball match next summer." The South Australian Cricket Association is negotiating to host another day-nighter against Pakistan next December, while South Africa is "expected to dip their toes into pink ball cricket in Brisbane in the traditional home season opening test." Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland said, "We are really keen on continuing this and something we want to see in the future" (NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 11/30).

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