Bankstown Oval

[Timbo]

I was one of the 840 odd souls who made it out to Bankstown Oval for the opening of the Australian Domestic Cricket season yesterday.

It's been a while since I've been to Bankstown Oval and I have to say there's been some pretty serious changes out there. In fact I'd go as far to say that this suburban ground is better appointed than the test match grounds in places like Dunedin or Harare.

It now has a media centre at the Southern End which appears to have two commentary boxes in it, coupled with a function centre which has a balcony looking over the field, the 'Bankstown Sports Hall of Fame', which doubles as a corporate facility.

The most amazing thing was the ground has a permanent video screen mounted on the roof of the indoor cricket centre. I would have loved to have been in the council meeting where that was proposed, debated and approved.

Given that untill this season the most that ground could have hoped for was the odd Shield match or Womens ODI I do not know how or why these upgrades were approved but it's now a great little cricket ground.

[Boba Fett]

Yeah, it's interesting that Sydney has plenty of nice, but small capacity cricket grounds.

Bankstown, Drummoyne and Blacktown have had plenty of money spent on them in terms of stands, lights and other facilities. Thrown in North Sydney Oval as well, and there is no lack of boutique cricket grounds in Sydney!

[Timbo]

Yeah that's true. Blacktown especially should be the model for new-build cricket grounds arounf the world I think.

[yob]

The cricket model - ride the backs of another sport to get ground improvements for that one game you play each year that attracts 300 white people.

[Timbo]

I'm sure the 100,000 that'll be at the MCG on Boxing Day will agree with you.

[Boba Fett]

I'm sure the 100,000 that'll be at the MCG on Boxing Day will agree with you.

Wandering off topic here, but my tip for Boxing Day crowd is 80-85k. The ground won't hold 100k for cricket.

[Orel Puppington]

I've been all arounf Bankstown except for the oval and it looks nice

[yob]

I'm sure the 100,000 that'll be at the MCG on Boxing Day will agree with you.

Obviously the sport doesn't require any public money then.

[Timbo]

I'm sure the 100,000 that'll be at the MCG on Boxing Day will agree with you.

Wandering off topic here, but my tip for Boxing Day crowd is 80-85k. The ground won't hold 100k for cricket.

True, but day 1 will sell out for an Ashes match.

Sydney's virtually sold out its first 4 days.

[Timbo]

Only 90,700 short on your prediction Yob.

[yob]

Only 90,700 short on your prediction Yob.

Mate, your prediction that the MCG would grow legs after Christmas and go to Bankstown to watch the richard cheequee all stars.

[Adelaide_United_Red]

Pics of bankstown oval?