How New Zealand flipped the script with Test crowds

New Zealand's Success in Attracting Test Crowds

The ongoing New Zealand tour is a delightful watch for England fans, not just because of the cricket, but also due to the excellent on-screen product and the picturesque venues. The relaxed atmosphere, idyllic settings, and healthy attendances have been a welcome change.

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) seems to have cracked the code for drawing in Test crowds. The question is, can other nations, lacking the financial might of England, Australia, and India, learn from this? Or is it a uniquely Kiwi phenomenon?

Stacey Geraghty, NZC's head of marketing and communications, attributes the strong Test attendances to playing at smaller venues and presenting them in the best way possible. The grass bank boutique venues, like Hagley Oval and Basin Reserve, offer a different experience that fans prefer over larger stadiums.

The ticket prices in New Zealand are also a significant factor. During the final day of a Test against Sri Lanka last summer, Lord's looked largely empty due to high ticket prices. In contrast, tickets for this New Zealand series have been around $30 (less than GBP 15), and punters still turned up, despite comfortable English victories.

The accessibility of these grounds, which are community assets rather than just cricketing amphitheaters, also contributes to their appeal. The Basin Reserve in Wellington, for instance, is "woven into the fabric" of the city and is accessible to the public seven days a week.

However, the challenge lies in making ends meet. While bigger stadiums may generate more revenue, NZC seems content with its current strategy, acknowledging Test cricket's status as something approaching a loss leader. The governing body focuses on providing a good fan experience, knowing that they can make up for the revenue gap with ODIs and T20s.

This approach is in sharp contrast to England's, where Test cricket is a significant source of ticket revenue. The Hundred was conceived to increase cricket's accessibility and introduce the sport to different demographics.

New Zealand, however, seems to have flipped this script. They use the longer format as the accessible viewing experience and let the glitz of white-ball cricket do the financial heavy lifting. Whether this will lead to Test cricket bringing in newer, perhaps younger audiences remains to be seen.

The unique combination of New Zealand's sporting landscape, smaller population, and range of grass bank stadiums is hard to replicate. However, other nations struggling to make ends meet could learn from NZC's attitude shift between the commercial importance of Tests vs white ball. If NZC continues to succeed while catering to their red-ball fans, it's a strategy worth noticing.