5 reasons why pink-ball Day-Night Test is the future

#3 Already a favourite with the spectators

Day-Night Test crowd

Test cricket seems to be succeeding in its mission to re-invent itself and interest spectators once more by introducing the Day-Night format. The Day-Night Tests that have taken place, particularly the two in Adelaide and the recently concluded one at Edgbaston, have pulled in a record number of crowd.

The first pink ball Test between Australia and South Africa drew a record crowd of 47,441 on the first day and close to one million people tuned in on television for the last session of the day.

For the Edgbaston Test, nearly 70,000 tickets were sold for the first three days with days two and three being totally sold out. What was further heartening is the fact that nearly 40% of the tickets were purchased by spectators who had never been to a stadium to watch a cricket match.

The three Tests in Australia and the one in England also registered a significantly higher television audience and have already broken viewership records. The format is certainly more watchable because a large number of people usually return home from work in the evening.

The Day-Night format for Tests in already a runaway success commercially. If it was designed to bring people back to watching Tests, it seems to be splendidly succeeding so far in its mission.