Many seats stayed empty at Kingsmead in Durban on the opening day of the first Test between South Africa and Australia, Yahoo Sports reported.
Before the match, ticket sales for days one and three were a little over 7,500, according to Cricinfo. More than 8,000 tickets had been sold for Saturday.
The low numbers came even though the series is a meeting of the top two Test sides in the world. Australia are ranked first. South Africa are the reigning World Test Championship winners.
The Proteas won that title by beating Australia in the final at Lord’s. This is their first home Test since January 2025.
Fans on social media were quick to react to the crowd. “Way to support your World Champions South Africa! Disgraceful turnout for a fascinating 1st Test v Australia,” one user wrote on X.
Another fan at the ground said: “Turnout here in Durban is safe to say very disappointing. Cracking day though.”
A third user pointed out that this is the first Australian Test tour of South Africa since 2018.
The report listed several reasons for the poor turnout. The match started on a Friday, which is a working day and a school day. The school term is still running.
Money is also tight for many families, the report said. It said the economy is flat and unemployment is high.
The weather in Durban was warm and sunny. The beach is only about one kilometre from the ground.
Football is another big pull. The MTN8 final between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns kicks off at 6pm on Saturday at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
That stadium is less than two and a half kilometres from Kingsmead. The final is sold out, and more than 50,000 people are expected.
Crowds were also small at the start of the season. The opening one-day international against Australia was played on 24 September, a public holiday.
That match drew just over 12,000 people, which is about half of the ground’s capacity, according to Cricinfo.
Cricket South Africa has predicted a financial loss from the home series against Australia and England.
Cricket is officially the second most popular sport in South Africa, behind football. The report said it is still a niche sport in a country of 66 million people.
Kingsmead is the only one of the three Test venues in the series with a Friday start. This should give fans weekend cricket, the report said.
Source: this article is based on reporting by Yahoo Sports. Image: Yahoo Sports. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Sports desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Tiyani Mathebula writes about sport for Tzaneen Voice. Tiyani covers Bafana Bafana, the Springboks, the Proteas and the PSL, along with athletics, tennis and local club sport. Match reports and previews focus on results, team news, fixtures and what each game means for South African teams and fans.