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The battle between Channel Nine and Channel Ten over cricket ratings is heating up. It seems Australians cannot get enough of cricket, whether it be Tests or the hit-and-giggle version. An average national audience of 1.24 million watched the final session of the Test on Thursday. It spiked to 1.363 million when captain Steve Smith passed 50 for the third time in as many innings. Later that night, the Ten network's coverage of the first half of the Big Bash League opener between Kevin Pietersen's Melbourne Stars and the Adelaide Strikers attracted an average national audience of 1.02 million, peaking at 1.24 million. Not surprisingly, Cricket Australia was "extremely pleased" with the ratings. Channel Nine took a glass-half-empty approach. They noted in their daily release on cricket ratings how their rival's numbers were down 11 per cent and 23 per cent for the corresponding sessions last year.
Hot but Tendulkar hotter
As impressive as Steve Smith's recent hot streak has been he is still no match for Sachin Tendulkar. Smith's wicket on the third day ended a run of 347 runs without dismissal. It was the first time in 486 balls and 11 hours and 44 minutes at the crease that Smith had been dismissed since he was trapped lbw in Abu Dhabi in late October. His tally of 347, however, was a long way short of the 497 Tendulkar made in 2004, which included unbeaten knocks of 241 and 60 against Australia in Sydney, 194 against Pakistan in Multan before he was dismissed for two in Lahore. The best by an Australian is the 489 Michael Clarke made against South Africa in November 2012, when he followed an unbeaten 259 in Brisbane with 230 in Adelaide.
Keeper is still king
Cricket Australia may have taken the longer-term view by appointing Smith as Test captain instead of Brad Haddin, but when it comes to the Sydney Sixers the wicketkeeper is still king. On the off chance that Smith and Haddin will be available for their Big Bash League team this summer, it will be Haddin who will lead the men in magenta. Moises Henriques was named skipper for the Sixers' first match of the season on Friday night against Melbourne Renegades.
The Lyon's share
Nathan Lyon's importance to the Test side has been magnified by an injury to No.2 spinner Stephen O'Keefe that will put him out until the new year. O'Keefe, who made his Test debut in the UAE in October, will miss the opening four games of the Sydney Sixers' Big Bash League campaign. The left-arm spinner hurt his calf last Sunday in a practice match and is not expected to return until the clash with the Melbourne Stars at the MCG on January 5. The Sydney Test starts the next day.
Action on pause
There was a time when the only time drinks came onto the field was during the designated drinks break. Of course, those days are long gone, though things were getting out of hand shortly after lunch on Thursday. At one change of ends, The Tonk counted seven extra men on the field, from both sides, and only one, Australia's physio Alex Kountouris, was not a drinks waiter. It left several old-timers exasperated. "They probably only scored about six runs where they had to run, so there's no need to have a drink," said former England captain John Emburey, who played from 1978-95. Fairfax's own Dean Jones said the match referee needed to intervene. "It's not good for the crowd either," he said. "They've paid good money to watch cricket." Australia coach Darren Lehmann had said after the first day, when 84 overs were bowled, more needed to be done to stop time wasting. He is sick of the game being interrupted to wait for the corporates in the boxes, security behind the sightscreen and so forth.
