The carefully choreographed debut of day-night Test cricket in Adelaide threw some time-honoured conventions out the window but offered a glimmer of hope for the survival of the game´s oldest format.
Players and purists regard Tests as the pinnacle of the game but their enthusiasm for five-day matches has been unmatched in the terraces of most cricket nations for years.
So the total attendance of 123,000 fans at Adelaide Oval for a game that lasted less than three days is certain to have struck a chord with the sport´s power-brokers, many of whom were onlookers at the venue.
“The inaugural day/night test in Adelaide was a huge success, enjoyed by cricket followers across the world,” International Cricket Council Chief Executive David Richardson, who attended the match, said in a statement on Monday.
“Day/night Tests will not be feasible at every venue, it certainly provides a new dimension for players, spectators, broadcasters and fans alike and it is here to stay.
“Adelaide Tests are traditionally well supported by local fans and interstate visitors but the total attendance was a record in the city for a non-Ashes fixture.
The mark was also a stark contrast to the disappointing turn-outs in the first two Tests in Brisbane and Perth.
The series-opener at the Gabba drew 52,000 spectators in total, while the 47,000 that flocked to day one in Adelaide easily outstripped the 40,000 who trickled through the gates for the entire Test at the WACA in Perth.
Perhaps more encouragingly, the first-day night Test also drew a huge armchair audience in Australia for local free-to-air broadcaster Channel Nine, which has been an ardent supporter of CA´s efforts to hold a floodlit Test.
Some 3.19 million people tuned in to the final day´s play, according to Channel Nine, the highest rating day of cricket in the current 2015/16 season.
Cricket Australia Chief Executive James Sutherland saw enough promise in the opening days to float the prospect of two Tests under lights next season, against touring sides Pakistan and South Africa.
“It would seem that Adelaide is a fantastic place for it, and there are other venues around the country,” he told local radio on Monday.
After 11 centuries were scored in the opening two Tests, the balance of power swung sharply to the bowlers in Adelaide. Australia wicketkeeper Peter Nevill´s 66 was the highest individual score and the highest innings total was a modest 228.
In Perth, New Zealand´s Ross Taylor hit 290 while the highest innings score was over 550.
Cricket Australia had to refund fans who bought tickets to day four of the Test after it wrapped up in three.
Like ICC boss Richardson, New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum declared the match a success and day-night tests “here to stay”, but also bemoaned the imbalance between bat and ball.
It was most pronounced at night when the pink ball swung its hardest and was tougher for batsmen to see under the lights.
