Kingsmead bosses will have to do soul-searching to bring people back

THE first Test between South Africa and Australia had a bit of everything. There was some quality cricket by two of the best teams in the world, a contest that stretched into the fifth morning, some controversy but, sadly, very little in the way of a crowd.

Given the heavyweights on display at Kingsmead, it was taken for granted that the people of Durban would come in at some point. The cavernous East Stand, with its blue and green seats, was an eyesore, as it was barely populated on each of the five days.

“It is disappointing from our side, and we need to go back and think on what we can do to not only bring people in, but also get them to come back,” said Dolphins CEO Heinrich Strydom.

“What is clear is that even a fixture of the magnitude of the Proteas against Australia is not enough, so we have to look at everything we are doing, and see how we can enhance (the) experience. Maybe it is time for us to start looking at having themes for specific days, and really targeting a certain type of fan to be attracted to the stadium,” Strydom added.

Durban has had a problem with attendance for years, with even the Boxing Day Test notorious for pitiful attendance beyond the first day. That has been taken away from Durban in recent years, and there remains a danger that it may head to Pretoria or Port Elizabeth again, given a total spectator count that barely touched 20 000.

“Look, I think it is a problem that concerns all of South African sport. If you look at the India series, there were not full houses around the country. The Pink Day is obviously the exception, and maybe we need to look at things like that to get the audiences we want,” Strydom conceded.

The Proteas themselves have a poor record at Kingsmead, and that in itself probably contributes to the dwindling numbers. Conversely, some have suggested that Durban has become almost an away game for the national side, given the lack of patriotism in the stands.

Whatever it is, something needs to change if Durban is to maintain its position as one of the preferred venues for the men’s side going forward. It used to be a stronghold, with a fast pitch and a lively crowd making for an intimidating atmosphere.

“We will go away in the winter, and do some strategising. It goes back to every little thing that we have to do as a union, to give the spectator coming in the best possible experience,” Strydom acknowledged.

The small window between the visit of India and the arrival of Australia also didn’t help, and there was barely any time to shift the promotional focus from one to the other.

Kingsmead was sold out for the ODI against India, which fell on a Thursday afternoon, so it is not a case of people not being able to spar a day and get to the game. The tiny crowd certainly raised an eyebrow or two from the visiting players and media, who are coming from a summer with daily attendances that topped 50 000 at some venues, and beyond 80 000 at the iconic MCG. Grounds like Kingsmead would do anything to have those kind of attendances as a gross attendance for an entire, five-day Test.

Port Elizabeth is next on the itinerary, and Strydom was hopeful that the late drama at Kingsmead may help to generate more interest in the second Test.