Perth Scorchers‘ epic season will inject millions into Western Australian cricket after two devastating pandemic summers

A record-setting fifth BBL title and a record-breaking Western Australia cricket attendance of 53,866 were celebrated by all in attendance at Optus Stadium.

But this was more than a sporting story.

Western Australian cricket was hit disproportionately hard by the Covid-19 pandemic as the state’s strict border rules and Cricket Australia scheduling decisions resulted in a dramatic drop in content – highlighted by two straight summers with no Test matches – and revenue.

The WACA recorded a $1.8 million loss last financial year and might have suffered a similar fate the previous season, in which they missed out on hosting an Australia-India Test, if not for the intervention of Job Keeper. Revenues fell by $5 million last year after the Scorchers were limited to just one home game and the fifth Ashes Test was shifted from Perth to Hobart due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The Scorchers’ win, therefore, was much more than a sports story.

It will go some distance to lifting the game in WA back to financial health.

THE CROWD FACTOR

WACA chief executive Christina Matthews said moving BBL games to Optus Stadium from the much smaller WACA Ground had meant an average windfall of $2 million a year in non Covid-19 seasons – and that figure would be closer to $3 million this year after average crowds exceeded expectations.

The Scorchers drew a record 280,423 fans through the Optus Stadium gates this season at an average of 31,158. That easily eclipsed their previous best mark of 210,929 at an average of 30,133, set in Optus Stadium’s first season in 2018-19.

Optus Stadium, however, was infrequently used during the pandemic years. The Scorchers played just one home game last season and only five the summer before – for a combined two-year attendance of 135,628 – resulting in a significant revenue drop for the WACA.

This season? The WACA’s share of revenue for the two finals alone should bring in approximately $500,000 – a welcome injection after two barren years.

“We were looking for average crowds of about 23,000 this year because we had no idea what to expect coming out of Covid,” Matthews told CODE Sports. “Internally we had a stretch target of 25,000. Anything we got above that was going to be a massive bonus.

“The finals series is actually owned by Cricket Australia so we only get a percentage of the revenue but the way it has gone over the two games we have had it is probably about another $500,000 in revenue before expenses for us over those two finals.

“We made sure that every game had a different purpose from a crowd point of view. We saw big lifts in crowds but particularly for the Indigenous match and the Pride Round.

“Those communities are really embracing what we are doing.”

MERCHANDISE SOLD OUT – TWICE

Optus Stadium was a sea of orange on Saturday night and the explosion in merchandise sales this season will result in up to $400,000 in extra revenue in WACA coffers.

But it could have been more.

“We sold out twice this season,” Matthew admits. “We were sold out with three rounds to go and had to get a new shipment in and we effectively sold out in the semi and scraped together more for Saturday night.

“Merchandise isn’t as big in cricket as it is in footy but we are going to get a return at least fifty per cent greater than what we expected which is an outstanding result.

“We had stock for the last two years that we couldn’t sell because of Covid and not having matches. So we didn’t just sell this year’s stock, we sold out three years worth of stock.

“For us that probably means $300,000 to 400,000.”

DECADE-LONG TALENT SEARCH

Of course, more money in the system means more funding for talent development.

And the WACA believe they are already on a winner in this regard.

Outside of the WA-heavy Scorchers line-up, there were at least 13 other very good players produced by the WA system who were either playing for other BBL outfits, on national duty or injured on Saturday night. Those names include: Shaun and Mitch Marsh, D’Arcy Short, Tim David, Josh Philippe, Cameron Green, Ashton Agar, Lance Morris, Joel Paris, Marcus Stoinis, Hilton Cartwright, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Jhye Richardson.

Matthews said the state’s extraordinary depth was the result of a 10-year push across all forms of the game in both men’s and women’s cricket to increase reach, create more diversity and be more inclusive.

“It is definitely no coincidence. Since Justin Langer started as coach in late 2012 we have had a very firm eye on developing depth in our program,” she said.

“What you have seen this year – effectively having to re-recruit all of our overseas players, replace two or three local players who had injuries that prevented them from playing and still being able to win in the way we did – is the result of 10 years of really solid work by the organisation to create depth.

“That depth is not just on-field. It is off the field as well. We have re-signed all of our partners for next year. Last night was our biggest ever attendance by membership at a match. Over 10,000 of our members came.”

The strength and popularity of the Scorchers brand is starting to turn the tide in the battle for elite junior athletic talent, Matthews added. Traditionally, Australian rules football has held an edge in securing the best young sporting talent in WA.

But cricket, led by the Scorchers, is fighting back.

“Mitch Marsh couldn’t get over everywhere he went, kids were coming up to him, congratulating him and telling him they were going to play cricket and how fantastic the Scorchers were,” she said.

Another significant development is that players from remote WA areas like the Pilbara and Kimberley regions are starting to appear in elite junior teams as greater funding has provided WA cricket with greater reach.

“Over the last few years we have been developing our coaching system in the country regions and our talent identification,” Matthews said.

“That couples with our diversity programs. We have got an Indigenous player in nearly all of our under age teams now. To use a John Howard term, we are a very broad church now in WA cricket and when we say we want to be a sport for all we are serious about it.

“Focusing on diversity and inclusion does not preclude us from being a first class elite organisation, it enhances it. It enhances how the players feel about the team. It enhances how partners feel about the organisation.

“Our players are very proud of the work we have done to get players from those areas including Aboriginal players into our organisations.”