A fan sits alone in the stand on the fourth day of the South Africa v Australia Test in Durban A senior South African cricket official has pledged to order a review into the low crowd which attended the first Test against Australia in Durban. Despite South Africa being the reigning world Test champions and Australia the number one-ranked side in the world, fewer than 20,000 fans attended across the five days.
Australia, who are touring South Africa for the first time since the 2018 sandpaper scandal, won by 214 runs and can wrap up the three-match series when the second Test gets under way in Gqeberha on Sunday. "It is impossible to overlook our disappointment that just under 20,000 fans attended across the five days," said KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union chief executive Heinrich Strydom. "A Test match of this quality deserved greater support in the stands.
This is something we will reflect on through a thorough internal review. "We need to listen to our supporters, reconnect with our communities and continue to find ways to make Test cricket more accessible, engaging and appealing. "Test cricket is part of our sporting heritage and its future depends on all of us." Attendances for Test cricket have been declining in many places around the world, most notably in South Africa and the West Indies.
While the Test against Australia was ongoing, a football cup final between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns was being held across town in Durban which attracted more than 50,000 fans. "While we recognise supporters face competing demands on their time and finances, we must also understand better what influences their decisions to attend and what more we can do to make live cricket an attractive and worthwhile experience," added Strydom.