Adelaide Test hype is 'Ashes-like'

The historic day-night Test in Adelaide has captured the attention of the sports-loving public, with South Australian cricket boss Keith Bradshaw reporting an 'Ashes-like' demand for tickets.

Bradshaw, the South Australia Cricket Association's chief executive, has been a key figure in the development of the pink ball concept, which will be used in a Test match for the first time in the series-deciding clash between Australia and New Zealand starting on Friday.

Bradshaw says up to 40,000 people are expected for day one, well up from the 16,000-strong crowd that attended the opening day of the 2008 Adelaide Test against the New Zealand, the last time the Black Caps played in the city of churches.

An opening day crowd of 40,000 would also surpass the first day totals for the two most recent Ashes Tests, in 2010 and 2013.

And it's not just Adelaidians who are jumping on board, with 60 per cent of non-member ticket sales coming from interstate or overseas.

The expected crowd numbers should provide a significant boost to overall attendance figures for the series after a total of around 94,000 fans attended the first two Tests in Brisbane and Perth.

Adelaide Oval staffers have been working overtime to prepare the playing surface after 53,000 people crammed into the venue for Saturday night's AC/DC concert.

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Bradshaw was in no doubt that the ground will be ready come Friday. 

"We're absolutely thrilled with the condition of the oval," Bradshaw said.

"Damian Hough, our groundsman, is an absolute genius. He and his staff have worked tirelessly to get the ground into pristine condition, ready for the Test on Friday.

"We've replaced a significant amount of turf, which we knew we had to do where the (AC/DC) stage was, but that's gone all according to plan, and also the pitch has dropped in.

"It has a good covering of grass, similar to the SA-NSW Sheffield Shield match last month."

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Bradshaw says plenty of tickets are still available despite the high demand, with Cricket Australia to offer 'part-day' tickets for the first time.

'Twilight Tickets' allow access to the ground from 4pm onwards - for the second and third sessions of play - which would enable locals to attend the match after work or school from just $20 per adult and $10 per child. In addition, day three of the match on Sunday is Toyota Family Day, where a family of four can gain admission for the price of two adult tickets.

Bradshaw has been a pioneer in the development of day-night Test cricket as part of his former role as CEO of the Marylebone Cricket Club.

The 52-year-old says the introduction of pink-ball cricket is an important step forward as the traditional form of the game aims to retain and attract fans for decades to come. 

"Test cricket is the pinnacle and we really want Test cricket to survive into the future," he said.

"During my time at MCC nine or ten years ago we recognised ... the falling numbers, particularly in the subcontinent, and we needed to innovate and bring in day-night Test cricket, hence the development of the pink ball.

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"But we also needed to preserve the integrity: the balance between bat and ball, the contest that takes place. That was very important.

"Now, we're at a point where the pink ball is going to deliver us that contest.

"I think this is the start of a really important journey ... and we really have an exciting future ahead of us."

Bradshaw is also a fan of the concept of four-day Test matches, an idea supported by former Test skippers Greg Chappell and Mark Taylor, which the SACA boss will discuss at the MCC's Cricket Committee meeting this week. 

"With day-night Test cricket, with four-day Test cricket, with a Test championship, I think it's a case of let's fish where the fish are," Bradshaw said. "I think that's what people would like.

"It would also enable us to start Test matches on a Thursday, finish on a Sunday, the players have a three-day break and back into the next Test match.

"I think it's definitely worth looking at."

Tickets for the Day-Night Commonwealth Bank Test are available at cricket.com.au/tickets