A Test that was meant to carry Cricket Australia’s balance sheet has wrapped up in 144 overs, and accountants are already reaching for the red pen. The Perth match, finished late on Saturday evening, will leave CA short of roughly AU$3 million in ticket revenue for the abandoned third and fourth days.
Perth’s new record crowd – 101,514 through the gates over two days – enjoyed Travis Head’s counter-attacking 146 and England’s go-for-broke “Bazball” reply. Thrilling, yes. Profitable, not so much.
“Feel sorry for the people that can’t come tomorrow. I think it was a full house again,” Head reflected, a touch sheepishly, after walking off to a standing ovation.
Chief executive Todd Greenberg had seen the problem coming even before Australia’s first innings closed. “It’s difficult for a number of different groups,” he told SEN on Saturday morning. “Our broadcasters first of all. Certainly us, on ticket sales and our partners and sponsors. There’s a big economic impact on this series.”
Those words land harder given CA’s recent annual loss of AU$11.3 million. The figure drew sharp criticism from Cricket Victoria chair Ross Hepburn at last month’s AGM. Chair Mike Baird tried to calm nerves then, arguing that white-ball fixtures against India – scheduled in a separate financial year – had skewed the books. “In a normal scheduling, you’d have the white-ball cricket as part of that [Test] tour,” Baird said. “If they were in the same financial year, you would have seen a different position.”
Baird pointed to an “over $20 million improvement” already pencilled in for 2025-26, adding: “Hang on to your hats because next year we are going to have a record year in cricket. You’re going to see the most attendance, the most viewership, the most sponsorship.” The early finish in Perth has trimmed that optimism, though it is hardly fatal.
Broadcasters did at least enjoy a spike. Foxtel reported Friday as its most-watched opening day of a first Test, while free-to-air partner Seven posted similarly healthy numbers. Those ratings cushion rights-holders against lost advertising windows, yet the networks still prefer five long, programmable days.
Short Tests are not new – India’s win here last year wrapped up in four – but two-day finishes remain rare. Modern bold batting, aggressive fields and drop-in pitches that quicken as they bake might make them a touch less rare. If so, CA, the ECB and other boards will need fresh ideas on ticketing and insurance.
For now, Perth’s crowds have gone home early, England have an extra day to reset, and Cricket Australia’s finance team is rummaging through spreadsheets, hoping the next four Tests last the distance.
