Big Bash League: Marvel Stadium eyesore a problem league must fix to thrive

The Big Bash is under more pressure than ever to prove it’s one of the world’s premium T20 leagues, but there is a rather large elephant in the room: Marvel Stadium.

There are now so many T20 leagues on the circuit that countries are being forced to compete to attract international stars.

While Australia will never be able to challenge Indian or Middle Eastern leagues for wages, they can sell the Aussie lifestyle and world-class facilities.

However, for anyone rocking up at Marvel Stadium on Monday, you may have reached for the fixture to make sure you were in the right place.

Despite no football being played at the venue since September, the outfield was an eyesore, having hosted an RMIT graduation ceremony as recently as December 18 on top of major concerts involving Coldplay, Travis Scott, The Weeknd, and Pearl Jam.

There were long strips of dried turf and patches that looked as much soil as grass, while a patch that had been replaced next to the practise wickets was thick and slow.

Renegades keeper Tim Seifert was on the receiving end, felled when a throw skipped off the grass and into him.

Scorcher Keaton Jennings was also left looking red-faced after being run out due to his bat getting stuck in the soft grass where non-strikers are required to run.

With only two pitches to get through the six-week tournament, extra moisture is left in the deck, which made batting near impossible for the first 15 overs.

Even the Renegade’s second elected home ground, GMHBA Stadium in Geelong, has been a hazard to competitive cricket.

The Scorchers were robbed of vital points last season when their clash with the men in red in Geelong was abandoned due to a dangerous pitch after it got wet, and the first game at the venue this season saw the Hobart Hurricanes bowled out for 74.

Despite it all, Scorchers young gun Cooper Connolly was still able to show he is a force to be reckoned with, batting for all but an over of the innings for a gutsy 66 off 50, including six maximums.

But the tacky conditions leave New Zealander Finn Allen in tricky waters, caught for a duck pushing a ball that got stuck in the wicket.

It leaves him with scores of six, four and zero to start his maiden BBL, with Perth needing to decide how long they can carry his misfiring kamikaze tactics.