sport news Cricket legend Kim Hughes SLAMS 'woeful' Test crowds as Nathan Lyon spins ... trends now
The first Test between Australia and the West Indies has barely caused a ripple on the Perth sporting radar, with former captain Kim Hughes labelling the tiny attendance as woeful.
Only 7,846 fans attended the 60,000-seat Optus Stadium on Saturday for day four - one of the lowest ever attendances for a day of Test cricket in Perth - to see Australia claim a 164-run win.
It continued on from poor attendances over the opening three days.
Only 7,846 fans attended day four of Australia's first Test against the West Indies
A total of 10,929 fans attended day one, followed by crowds of 8,695 and 11,272.
Saturday's crowd was the lowest of the lot, despite not falling on a school day or a traditional work day.
Cricket Australia have been heavily criticised for scheduling the start of the Perth Test on a Wednesday, and for the lack of promotion.
The unappetising start date was caused by the tight scheduling window following the Twenty20 World Cup and three-match ODI series against England.
A total of 10,929 fans attended day one, followed by crowds of 8,695 and 11,272
Former Australian captain Kim Hughes (right) slammed the crowds as 'woeful'
It was also done to better suit prime-time TV audiences for fans in the eastern states.
Hughes, a proud West Australian who captained the Test team from 1978 to 1984, was surprised by the low turnout on Saturday.
'It's a shocker. It's very disappointing,' he told ABC radio.
'I would have thought maybe 15 [thousand] or 18,000 given it is Saturday and a lot of people don't work. And it is a lovely day, it's very pleasant inside the ground.
'It [the low crowd] is woeful [...] terrible.
The three-game ODI series against England last month was also plagued by poor attendances
Only 4,524 people turned out for Australia's One Day International against England at the MCG
'It suits the east coast to have the game start on the day it starts. It suits the east coast. Even if they started this on a Thursday, then you could have had a Saturday and Sunday to plan for.'
Paltry crowds were also a talking point during Australia's recent 3-0 ODI whitewash of England, with only 10,406 rocking up for the final match.
It was the lowest crowd for an ODI involving Australia at the MCG.
On the field, Nathan Lyon became Test cricket's second most prolific offspinner behind Muttiah Muralitharan after claiming fourth-innings figures of 6-128 in Perth, as he ripped the heart out of the tourists on the final morning before they were dismissed for 333 in pursuit of 498 for victory.
Nathan Lyon became Test cricket's second most prolific offspinner behind former Sri Lanka great Muttiah Muralitharan
Lyon claimed fourth-innings figures of 6-128 in Perth, as Australia claimed a 164-run win
