The golden voice of Greta Bradman last night heralded a new era for cricket at Adelaide Oval.
The traditional SACA members’ Test Match dinner moved from its western-stand location to the new William Magarey room in the southern stand, playing host to 500 members.
There were teething problems; a state-of-the-art audio and video system failed Bradman as she delivered a flawless aria from Rossini’s Barber of Seville.
The grand-daughter of cricket’s biggest name – Sir Donald Bradman – then gave an insight into the non-cricketing side of the family when she sang a song composed by The Don as a tribute to his wife Jessie.
Despite the audio technical failures, Bradman was given a standing ovation.
The award-winning soprano was the perfect link between the Oval’s 135-year history as Adelaide’s pre-eminent sporting venue and its new role as an economic and entertainment hub.
Bradman spent much of this year in Wales as the winner of the Australian International Opera Award – a scholarship that allowed her to study towards a Master of Arts of Advanced Vocal Studies.
You might like
Yet her brief thank-you to the audience focused on one thing: how important it was that Australia beats England in the Second Test.
The dinner has been an annual sell-out since the late 1990s, but the biggest drawcard was missing.
Not one player from the England side attended, and Australia was represented only by its coach, Darren Lehman, and spin bowler Nathan Lyon.
It’s a long way from the years when entire sides and both captains saw the function as a mandatory part of the Test build-up.
Compere Hamish McLachlan smoothed over the audio shortcomings and the England “no-show”, and brought in former England Test batsman and commentator David Lloyd to wow the crowd.
The SACA’s newest (and 11th) president, Andrew Sinclair, paid tribute to his predecessor Ian McLachlan as the architect of the Oval’s change from boutique cricket ground to AFL and rock-concert venue.
There were no blazer-clad volunteers to usher guests to the function – this is now a commercial venue that does big business with the CBD as a backdrop.
The Oval will also be a focal point for State Government promotions in the 101 days between today and the state election.
Stay informed, daily
Bridge openings, free breakfasts, barbecues and “experience” functions start tomorrow.
The new Riverbank Bridge will temporarily open Thursday until Monday and the first 1000 people to cross the bridge will get a free feed, along with live performances by surprise artists and special guest appearances from sporting icons to television personalities.
The Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure has launched a website – experienceriverbank.sa.gov.au – to make sure no one misses the new vibe.
From tomorrow, the focus moves from the new stands, bars and function rooms to the single stretch of turf that tests the cricketing skills of Australia and England.
The first four days are sold out.
Australian captain Michael Clarke is expected to prove his fitness at training today.
Clarke rolled his right ankle on Monday and didn’t train yesterday, with Australia opting to rest their skipper as a precaution.
Australia’s only selection decision appears whether to play all-rounder James Faulkner, at the expense of number-six batsman George Bailey.
All-rounder Shane Watson said yesterday the support from the Australian public during the first Test triumph was symbolic.
“You can really feel it with the Australian public as well, how much it really means to the Australian cricket-loving public to win the Ashes back,” he said.
“In Brisbane, it was the most support I have ever felt for the Australian cricket team by the crowd.
“It was absolutely extraordinary. It wasn’t just a couple of balls, it was just about every ball it felt like the whole Australian crowd was really behind us and it’s an incredible feeling.
“We just need to be able to stay on that roll. There certainly is a lot of people wanting us to perform well and win back the Ashes and it certainly gives us extra drive.”
A packed house in Adelaide’s newest venue is sure to repeat the effort.
Want to see more stories from InDaily SA in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily SA as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily SA". That's it.
