Just five days before South Australian Cricket Association president Ian McLachlan signs off on his 30-year contribution to the SACA board, he has delivered one final triumph.
The SACA was last night awarded the right to host an Indian Test match at the redeveloped Adelaide Oval in 2014.
Cricket Australia released its Test schedule on Wednesday night for what is a rare four-match series.
It had been expected that one of Perth, Brisbane or Adelaide would miss out on having a Test in the 2014-15 summer.
A “devastated” Western Australian Cricket Association has expressed its disappointment at missing out.
At the SACA, the champagne corks were popping.
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“I believe the announcement is entirely the right decision. South Australia has some of the most loyal Test cricket fans in the country,” McLachlan said.
“After four years of patience and perseverance, you will get your opportunity to watch Test cricket at a fully redeveloped Adelaide Oval,” he said in an email to members last night.
“The Test match will be the first opportunity for all South Australian cricket fans to experience the redeveloped stadium, in its fully completed state, at an international fixture.
“Since 1999/2000, Adelaide Oval has delivered the third highest Test attendances behind only the MCG and SCG, while also consistently delivering the third highest outcomes across the three pillars of Test revenues.”
After the Ashes, the Indian team tours are the most popular in Adelaide.
The Tests will be held in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide, with the dates to be determined.
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“Whilst CA will provide additional limited-overs matches to replace the Test match, there is no compensation for losing a Test,” WACA chief executive Christina Matthews said in a statement.
“The ongoing effect this loss will have on the WACA and cricket in Western Australia will be devastating and we are extremely disappointed by the decision, not only for the association, but for our members and WA cricket supporters.
“We will continue talks with CA and will be seeking an understanding from them of all the elements behind the decision.”
CA defended the decision, describing it as “unique” because it was a World Cup year for one day internationals.
“This was certainly one of the more difficult programming issues that Cricket Australia has faced and all the pros and cons of each option were weighed up very carefully before making our decision,” CA chief executive James Sutherland said.
“It is still a big summer and there is plenty of cricket to go around but in regard to only having four Tests, this is a one-off situation that we don’t see happening in the foreseeable future.”
Sutherland said that the WACA had the smallest capacity of the five major cricket grounds in Australia and typically the lowest attendances for Tests.
McLachlan steps down at the SACA annual general meeting next Tuesday (September 17), having served on the board for 30 years, 13 as president.
McLachlan was the driving force behind the return of AFL to Adelaide Oval and its $535 million redevelopment.
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