Cricket Australia entered this summer confident it could break an 89‑year‑old attendance record, but the goal is now mathematically impossible after two Tests finished far earlier than expected.
Total attendance sits at 645,559 after the first four Tests, and the 47,000‑seat SCG is expected to be at full capacity for the first four days of the Sydney Test. However, the early finishes in Perth and Melbourne both wrapping up in just two days have resulted in a projected loss of around 210,000 spectators.
The short matches were especially frustrating given the MCG’s 100,000 capacity, with more than 92,000 fans attending on each of the two days in Melbourne. Even with a complete sell‑out across all five days in Sydney, the 1936-37 attendance record cannot be surpassed.
Cricket Australia estimates that if the first and fourth Tests had reached at least day four, the long‑standing record would likely have fallen by day two or three of the Sydney Test.
Despite missing the all‑time mark, this summer is still set to break last season’s record for the highest average daily crowd, currently sitting at 49,658.
Cricket Australia’s head of events Joel Morrisson told AAP:
“Such a high volume of pre‑sales meant we were well positioned for the biggest Australian Test series attendance of all time.”
Even if the SCG Test stretches into a fifth day, the series will total just 18 days, making it the second‑shortest Test summer in Australia in 50 years. The first four Tests averaged only 1,392 balls, the briefest since the one‑off Tests of 1878-79 and 1887-88.
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