While the game was played at a neutral venue in Melbourne due to COVID, the empty stands were not a good look for a competition that is broadcast around the world.
TV ratings for the BBL have also dived this year, leaving organisers with some serious questions about how to regenerate interest next season.
But here’s an idea: take the game on the road, take it to the people and change the city-centric mindset.
Venues such as the new Mildura Sporting Precinct would be ideally placed to host BBL men’s or women’s matches, with a surface and facilities that are up to the required standard.
The interest would be enormous, a sellout crowd could almost be guaranteed, and it would help build a new audience.
It’s all well and good to have a TV product, but interest wanes without a genuine connection from the viewer.
Cricket needs to inspire the next generation of players and fans, but by remaining locked into its metropolitan bubble the BBL may be missing a chance to engage a much wider audience base.
While television rights deals dominate fixturing decisions made by competitions like the BBL, the logistics involved in sending TV crews and equipment to regions like Mildura are not insurmountable.
The new Mildura Sporting Precinct is located close to an airport, less than an hour’s flight from Melbourne, for crews to fly in and fly out.
The same would apply for players and BBL teams.
There are plenty of other opportunities around this to engage with local fans.
Wouldn’t it be great for the cricket stars to stick around for a day and potentially hold a clinic with kids, or make a guest appearance or two?
That is the sort of feelgood publicity that the competition desperately needs.
BBL organisers appear to have their fingers crossed that crowds will just bounce back next year after so many COVID setbacks.
But doing the same thing and expecting a different result is a strategy that works for no modern business.
Create a few country rounds across Australia where BBL players hit first-class venues like Mildura and generate the sort of buzz that has been lacking this summer.
Surely it’s worth a throw at the stumps.
Better court coverage
The slippery surface of the new courts has been fixed, the council says, and new curtains are also coming to block glare through the windows.
It comes after games were put on hold last year when players were slipping and sliding all over the newly laid courts, an issue the council identified as being caused by dust.
On top of works to reduce the incursion of dust inside the flash new stadium, council has also decided on a hard-wearing, oil-based lacquer that needed about three weeks to cure.
News that the floors are now ready for play mean that netball will also be played from February 18, when badminton will also resume.
Hopefully there are not too many more teething problems when the games begin.
