Cricket fans stunned as Australia v England match ends in two days
“As Sydney kids it was weird watching Australia win in an Irish pub about five minutes from Optus Stadium. We could see the stadium from the pub window.”
They were far from alone. More than 40,000 ticket holders for Sunday (mostly interstate and international passengers) woke up to an empty itinerary and a scramble for golf course times, Rottnest Island ferries or another pub visit.
Travis Head with Steve Smith after his Perth masterpiece.Credit: access point
Cricket Australia lost an estimated $4 million in ticket revenue due to the early finish. For those who had only purchased tickets for the third day, the late flight west suddenly felt like a gamble gone wrong.
This was the second two-day Test off the coast of Australia since 1931. The other took place at the Gabba in 2022 when Australia beat South Africa.
CA could take a big hit over the summer if testing continues to end early.
“It didn’t feel like we were watching Test cricket,” Earle snr said. “It was two days of mayhem. It’s a good story to tell.”
Travis Head turned the first Test and the series around.Credit: Getty Images
“We’re happy for Australia but disappointed as cricket fans. It’s extraordinary that a Test can be finished in two days. That really surprised us. We thought we were safe with day three tickets.”
“We were watching it happen before our eyes. Even as Australia were chasing 205, we thought 100 could be reached on the third day. As an Australian you’re happy for it to happen, but we thought, ‘God, slow down.’
“The game has changed a little bit. I’m a traditionalist. We’ll probably aim for day two from here.”
Alex Earle can’t watch Australia win the first Ashes Test in Perth.Credit: instagram
Sydney fan Harry Magriplis and his friends, who play for the “Lagermen Cricket Club”, found themselves in the same undesirable predicament after assuming the match would continue comfortably into Sunday.
“Test cricket is dead,” Magriplis said.
“We went to the cricket nets, heard the scores on the radio and thought the situation was not good. We are happy but sad. We hoped [Marnus] Labuschagne would be opened instead of Head to allow him to bat slower. The head is gone.
“We don’t want the refund. We wanted to leave. The morale of the people coming from Sydney is quite low because it’s $700. What are you going to do?”
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“I think we’ll go bar-hopping or play golf. Most of the golf is booked though.”
“We thought about the Adelaide Test but only the third day was available. We said, ‘No, we’re not going to do that’. I have tickets for Sydney for the fourth day and honestly I don’t think I can go.”
While most Australian cricketers will fly out from Perth on Sunday ahead of the second Test in Brisbane, which starts on December 4, England players are reportedly planning to head to the beach.
