Cricket: Low crowds no reason for panic

By RICHARD BOOCK

Domestic cricket authorities are having a tough time coping with their latest rival on the sporting scene - the New Zealand team.

Despite a relatively clear programme this summer local associations have reported dwindling Shell Cup crowds, with finalists Auckland estimating this season's gate at about 20-30 per cent of the levels seen three seasons ago.

However, Auckland chief executive Lindsay Crocker said far from a malaise afflicting the sport, cricket was in a buoyant state after the recent successes of the New Zealand team - to such an extent the domestic game was struggling to compete.

"It hasn't anything to do with a decline in our domestic product, rather the rapidly-rising profile of the New Zealand team," he said. "Cricket's the talk of the town right now. The game's seldom been in such a vibrant state and much of that has to do with our success on the international front."

Auckland hosts the first match of the best-of-three Shell Cup finals tomorrow, but the match will not be played under lights because - according to unofficial sources - crowd numbers had been insufficient to warrant the $7000 it costs to flick the switch.

Crocker said the improved international programme, which included two teams touring New Zealand each summer, had provided the public with a feast of top-level cricket and had the inevitable effect of distracting attention away from the domestic competitions.

"There's nothing broken," he said. "On the contrary, everything's going pretty well. But with the best will in the world, it's still impossible for our Shell Series to compete with a winning New Zealand team.

"I don't think the Shell Cup crowds are in any way representative of the support for cricket. In New Zealand, cricket's probably unique in that its support base can't be judged on attendances at domestic games.

"There might not be many people at the grounds - an entire day watching cricket is a major commitment in this day and age - but people follow the games on radio, television and in the newspapers. It's still an important part of a Kiwi summer."

New Zealand Cricket marketing manager Peter Dwan said his organisation would be conducting market research surveys to find out why people who had patronised domestic cricket in past seasons had not attended this summer.

Among the biggest crowds during the Shell Cup were the 2000 attracted to Invercargill's Queens Park for the Otago-Canterbury match, and the 1500 who turned up at Whangarei for Northern Districts' showdown with Wellington.

"I'd agree in part with what Lindsay's saying but we still think we can do better in terms of domestic crowds," said Dwan.

"Cricket's not only competing with other sport these days, it's competing in a broader market, and we're naturally keen to find out why people spend their entertainment dollar the way they do.

"We certainly want an improvement but we're realistic as well. It's unlikely we'll ever boost attendances at domestic cricket back up to what they were five or six years ago, simply because people - faced with more options every year - will lean towards the international product."