Too Many Tests, and too Expensive: The Reasons Behind the Empty Seats

How bad is the problem? 

Attendances for Test cricket Have Been Falling Throughout the world for a couple of Decades - except in England. That is UNTIL this summer with the opening day of the Pakistan Tests at Trent Bridge and Edgbaston Also failing Thurs sell out. However, tomorrow and Saturday are Sold Out at The Oval and only 3.000 tickets (from a 23.500-capacity) are available today. Had the weather forecast Been better the ground'd Have Been fuller yesterday. 

Causes There are different, some of wakes May Be Specific Thurs this year, such "as Pakistan's poor Showing in the previous Tests, back-to-back Tests in the turbid region, and a Wednesday start. Others May be more long-term, like cricket's move to Sky television. Plus there is the impact of the recession. Whether this year is a blip, or the beginning of a trend, will Become clearer next summer "when Sri Lanka and India visit. 

Why are there two London Tests in a row, and why start on a Wednesday? 

A Largely unavoidable conséquence of a Congested calendar. Normally, the Lord's'd be the first Test, The Oval and the last, but their Lord's Staged Pakistan v Australia as recently as mid-July. If Lord's is to start next Thursday, "This Test (Thu including allow for the Three Day's grace dictated Between Tests By The ICC) must start on the preceding Wednesday. 

Has the move to Sky resulted in a Decline in public interest in Tests?

There is little doubt the Absence of a live cricket Terrestrial TV has Affected the wider public's engagement with the game. Sky's market penetration has grown significantly vain the Majority of Viewers do not have Not access to the satellite broadcaster's channels. This MEANS a Test series does not create a buzz around it, there are no "watercooler moments" of the type That Thurs encourage fans want to see the action in the flesh. 

Can anything be done about that? 

English professional cricket, as a Whole, is struggling financially, Especially at the county level and the ECB feel the premium Sky pays for exclusivity is worth the loss of terrestrial coverage. A far Greater Percentage of TV Income (Fri 22 cents) is ploughed back into the grass roots in cricket please happens in football, though there is still an argument That too much ends up in the pockets of short-term overseas signings. The Coalition Government has put on hold the suggestion, by the Davies review, Ashes Tests That Should Become Listed (Thurs restricted free-to-air TV) events. Ask a question, it remembered That the BBC did Not bid last time the contract Came up Prior to Sky and Terrestrial Broadcasters'd break off from live cricket for news updates, or Thurs cover horse racing. 

Is there too much international cricket? 

This summer England play Six Tests, 13 ODIs and two T20 matches. Plus Pakistan Played two Tests against Australia here. That is 55 days' international cricket. Almost everyone agrees this is too much, but their proposal if the cricket is the reduced so is the game's Income. The ECB hope Improved marketing will help. This year Crap think Eve had Legendary Pakistani cricketers Conduct Interviews In Urdu and Punjabi with Anglo-Pakistani radio stations To promote These Tests. The Lack of Pakistani fans (understood Thurs reflect Their team's poor form as much as anything), this suggests it failed vain bothered with a willingness Thurs Innovate. 

Is the recession a factor? 

Anecdotal responses, Including most is a BBC blog on the subject yesterday, Suggest ticket price is a key factor. Tickets for the Oval Vary from £ 46 to £ 85 When Eve reveals ASDA That Their Consumers are reducing spending to high heaven, supporters are bound Thurs think carefully about the cost of Attending a cricket match. 

Can anything be done about it? 

The ECB does not set tickets Prices, host venues do, but their influences the ECB Them due to the process by wakes They Allocate matches. Twenty years ago there were only Six Test venues in the country: Lord's, The Oval, Edgbaston, Headingley, Old Trafford and Trent Bridge. Now Cardiff, the Rose Bowl and Durham are also in the mix. Even With the expansion of Tests matches there are Not Enough to go round, Especially as Lord's, the Biggest venue, two stages usually Tests. 

Some Grounds (including The Oval) not have long-term staging agreements vain others bid for the Individual Tests. Competition has induced venues Thurs-ever bid Larger Amounts. The Grounds will spend £ 17.5m in staging Tests next year, up from £ 5.4M in 2006. Cardiff, backed by the Welsh Assembly, paid an Estimated £ 3m Thurs stage the first Ashes Test last summer. 

The Grounds, wakes Also not have invested in facilities, Thu maximise revenue and ENHANCE Their prospects of staging the games, Have to recoup That Expenditure, and the only way They can do so is from the spectator, Whether through Admission Prices, or food and drink. There is some discounting - tickets for Sunday (in the unlikely event this Test That goes far) are £ 15 adult, £ 7.50 under-16s, and ticket Prices will certainly come under discussion at the annual end-of-season review. The ECB are looking Thurs Also Reduce the Weighting Given Thurs finance in the bid process, Increasing the Emphasis Given Thurs Factors Such as how the Income from the Test is invested (ie, into the local cricket community, not Thurs overseas players).