Adelaide 'outraged' by schedule

Adelaide's media has reacted dramatically to the city's loss of next year's Australia Day one-day international fixture to Sydney. 

Cricket.com.au yesterday released some details of the 2014-15 schedule ahead of Monday's official announcement, with the major talking point the transferring of the Australia Day match from the Adelaide Oval, the traditional home of the match this century. 

Adelaide's The Advertiser went with the story on its front page, under the heading 'CLEAN BOWLED'. 

"Cricket Australia is guilty of 'disgraceful incompetence' for stripping Adelaide Oval of its traditional Australia Day fixture and needs to 'grow up', state Sport Minister Leon Bignell says," wrote Richard Earle.

"There are now fears over whether Australia Day Test matches or one-day games will ever return to the revamped Adelaide Oval.

"Mr Bignell yesterday said Cricket Australia had been 'totally inept' in its handling of fixtures for next summer.

"'We have built the best stadium in Australia, it is disappointing', he said. 

"'CA didn’t put one cent into the development. In an era of professionalism, cricket needs to grow up and get into the modern era, behave like a modern-day sporting organisation that allows us to capitalise on our $535 million expenditure and tourism potential that big games present at Adelaide Oval'. 

"Now considered the jewel in the crown of South Australian sport, the redeveloped 50,000 seat Oval will remain empty on a weekend that was previously a mecca for cricket fans."

In the same newspaper, an opinion piece by Scott Walsh underscored the city's displeasure at the fact that Sydney had received the perceived rub of the green in the scheduling.

“Adelaide, it’s time to get angry,” Walsh wrote.

“On second thought, instead of getting angry, maybe get a harbour. Or a bridge. An opera house might do the job. Tollways, two-hour drives to work, a million-dollar mortgage for a two-bedroom dive in some crack-den neighbourhood.

“Or how about an ambivalent sporting crowd that only turns up if circumstances suit?

“Because that’s all Sydney’s got, and apparently that’s enough for Cricket Australia to rework the summer calendar and move Australia Day from Adelaide Oval to the SCG.”

Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland yesterday responded to upset fans.

“It’s a unique season with the ICC Cricket World Cup at the end," Sutherland said.

“This year Adelaide has done very well with the allocation of matches for the ICC Cricket World Cup and that’s something really significant for South Australian cricket fans to look forward to.

“We’ve made a decision to play a one-day international match in Sydney at the SCG against India on Australia Day.

“That’s not to say that will always be the case in the future, but in this case the unique circumstances of this summer have led us to make that call.”