On a relatively mild day in Darwin, a few hundred punters laze in the cool shade, watching the Australian cricket team and local players in an acclimatising practice match ahead of their forthcoming trip to Bangladesh.
There is a sense of relief among attendees, not just because the match nearly didn’t take place, but also because the resolution of a bitter dispute has seen a new commitment to grassroots clubs and female professionals.
Months of fractious arguments over a new pay arrangement with Cricket Australia saw Australia A’s trip to South Africa cancelled 48 hours before the team was supposed to leave, and the two-Test tour to Bangladesh put in jeopardy.
But even amid all that, grey nomads Clarrie and Elspeth Taberner delayed their departure back down south just in case Bangladesh – and the Darwin practice match – was back on.
“We’ve stayed here for an extra three weeks. Clarrie kept on saying: it’ll finish, they’ll get their money, we’ll wait another week,” says Elspeth.
“It’s fantastic it’s going ahead,” says Clarrie about the Bangladesh tour. “I hope we beat them.”
The couple, who bring their caravan north each winter, had been keenly following updates on the dispute.
Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association had been at loggerheads over a new memorandum of understanding since December, primarily over revenue sharing and Cricket Australia’s desire to end the 20-year long practice of fixed shares among players for more flexibility in investment in grassroots cricket.
When the previous MoU expired at the beginning of July more than 230 players were effectively made unemployed. As talks stalled, Australian vice-captain David Warner publicly lashed out, accusing CA of ignoring a “peace plan” from players and rejecting mediation.
But earlier this month the two sides finally came to an agreement, which included a redistribution of around $500m in revenue over the next five years – an increase of about $120m. It will now be shared equally among male and female players, raising the women’s pay from about $7.5m to $55.2m. Grassroots cricket will see up to $30m.
Pace spearhead Pat Cummins says the money would mean more opportunities and better facilities for young players.
“We’re so lucky in Australia to have so many volunteers around the junior clubs, so I guess it’s a way to help them teach cricket and coach cricket, and hopefully that reflects in it being more enjoyable for the kids and they can learn more,” he says. “Any money for grassroots cricket is brilliant.”
Darwin local Blinkey Thorne says he hadn’t followed the dispute much except to notice that “it was annoying everyone”, but he was happy with the outcome. “I do like that women are getting more out of it,” he says. “That was the most important thing.”
Teneale Ferguson attended Tuesday’s match with her three children: 16-year-old Bryre, eight-year-old Owen, and five-year-old Ila – all cricket fans and players. “I knew they’d fix it. They were all going on about it,” she says, pointing at the kids. “But I thought, eh, she’ll be right.”
Ferguson, who scores weekend games, thinks the financial commitment to grassroots cricket was sorely needed after years of inadequate support.
“My husband coaches three teams at the moment, on his own, and can’t be at all of them for game days,” she says. “We need lots of help club wise. We’ve got no support and volunteers are hard to get, especially up here.”
At the end of the day at Marrara Oval, a Steve Smith-led XI declared on 181-6 in response to the 360-6 declared posted by Warner’s side.
Travis Head, the South Australia captain, made 104 for Warner’s side. Earlier Warner had retired hurt in the third over after he was hit in the side of the neck with a bouncer from Josh Hazlewood, but was later cleared of any injury.
The team will leave for Dhaka on Friday.
