An Unsafe Pitch Suspends a BBL Game – Is That a Common Occurrence?

A BBL game ended up being cancelled last week due to the pitch conditions. It’s an odd headline for sports media, but not entirely unheard of. More importantly, is it set to continue? We explore here.

What is the BBL?

A term like BBL can be confused with the British Basketball League or the latest Kardashian cosmetic surgery, but in this instance, the BBL stands for The Big Bash League. Established in 2011 by Cricket Australia, it is designed to capitalize on the growing popularity of the 20-over format of cricket. However, unlike cricket, BBL games feature fast-paced, big-hitting cricket and lively atmospheres designed to attract families, women, and children to matches. Games are typically held during the school holidays in December and January.

The tournament has developed into one of the premier T20 leagues globally, with strong fan support and broadcast deals. Average match attendances exceed 30,000 spectators. Many marquee international players participate in the BBL, making it a high-profile shop window for Australian and overseas talent. In 2021, it generated over AUD$200 million in broadcast and commercial revenue and it has been credited with expanding cricket’s fanbase across Australia, particularly in children and families.

What happened?

However, this faster-paced format does mean that smaller things can trip up players – sometimes literally. Pitch conditions have deteriorated in recent years leading to an increasing number of matches being abandoned, delayed, or moved due to unsafe pitches.

On Monday December 11, it was reported that Cricket Australia authorities were launching a review into an incident the previous Sunday. A match between the Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers was called off in Geelong due to the unsafe status of the pitch.

With only 6.5 overs bowled, the Kardinia Park wicket was considered too wet to play on. Fans looking up Australia’s Big Bash League betting tips were disappointed. It had been raining heavily over the weekend, and despite ground staff’s efforts to control the situation, the conditions raised issues about player safety considering a wet patch emerged on the field.

The game was allowed to eventually resume, while families and fans waited patiently in the stands, but unfortunately was stalled again in the seventh over due to a series of deliveries from Renegades’ paceman Will Sutherland against batsman Josh Inglis that was described as “unsettling”.

The incident that really was the last straw for the game was interrupted by Inglis tolerating a torrid three-ball sequence, which resulted in an inside edge, missing a delivery, and being struck in the groin, no less.

Needless to say, the decision to abandon the match came soon after, which was the first in the BBL’s 12 years of existence.

Is it common?

There has been a spate of matches affected by substandard pitches this BBL season. Highlight some of the key games impacted and the issues with the pitches like excessive bounce, uneven bounce, cracks, dampness etc.

Why is this? Well, weather and overuse of pitches causes wear and tear. The BBL is a relatively new league so it has made a habit of using leftover pitches wherever they can get them, but as the fans can see, this is causing problems. The need for better pitch preparation, pitch covers and rotation between pitches is important given the high volume of matches each season.

How does the BBL ensure this doesn’t happen?

The BBL organisers and Cricket Australia can take several steps to minimize the risk of matches being affected by poor quality pitches, including setting clear minimum standards for all BBL pitches relating to safety, evenness of bounce, durability over the course of matches and support for good playing conditions.

Investment should be put in place for pitch preparation and the facilities and equipment at grounds which struggle with pitch issues. Funding for covers, pitch drainage and renovation works could be made available. Additionally, implement better pitch inspection and approval protocols before matches get underway. This may mean having independent pitch advisors on standby to make judgments.

Conclusion

It’s important that this recognisable pattern of behaviour doesn’t go on any further for the sake of the player, the fans and the BBL. Player safety is being jeopardized by unsafe pitches and fans are missing out on full games and refunds have to be provided for abandoned matches. This impacts the fan experience and revenue generation of the league. The economics of the BBL are important to Cricket Australia. Lost or delayed broadcasts and matches postponed impact broadcasting deals and sponsorship and all the hard work that was put into bringing cricket to the youth will be undone.

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