WESTERN Australia Premier Mark McGowan sent a disappointing message to the 55,000 fans on their way to Optus Stadium for Thursday night’s Big Bash semi-final: “Leave early.”
Perth’s public transport system was tipped to suffer under the massive strain of the sellout crowd as it flooded the riverside venue.
“I would just ask everyone to be understanding that the transport system will have difficulty coping, in particular leaving the stadium,” Mr McGowan said.
“If you can leave early or delay your departure, that would be a good thing.
“If we can make sure that our train network can cope by people being a bit more understanding and perhaps going a little bit earlier or a little bit later, that would be great.”
The match, which sold out in minutes, was originally set to have a cap of 45,000 seats sold to reduce chaos on public transport after the result.
Hosts of Channel 10’s The Project weighed in on the puzzling farce gripping the semi final.
“You’d be happy to leave a $ 12.50 fish finger burger,” Lisa Wilkinson said, in reference to the stadium’s food criticism. “But this is crazy. How can they not be organised for this?”
Waleed Aly said the transport bungle was a “big issue” before cheekily slapping down Perth.
“Part of the problem is — and this will sound like a joke, it’s not — Perth is not used to having stadiums people want to go to,” he said as the audience laughed. “Seriously, that’s why they built that stadium — the WACA and Subiaco were so run-down, they haven’t sorted out the transport.”
As expected, Perth train stations were jam-packed after the match.
On top of the transport woes, it wasn’t a great night for Scorchers fans.
Matthew Wade and Ben McDermott cracked blistering half-centuries to help power the Hobart Hurricanes to a crushing 71-run win over the home side.
Wade struck 71 off 45 balls and McDermott added an unbeaten 67 off 30 to lift Hobart to 4-210 — the equal-third highest score in BBL history. In reply, the Scorchers were bowled out for 139 in 17.5 overs, ending their title defence in front of 52,960 disappointed fans.
The win propels the Hurricanes into an away final on Sunday — against the winner of Friday’s second semi-final between the Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Renegades.
The Scorchers won the toss and elected to bowl, but quickly regretted the decision after the Hurricanes exploded out of the blocks.
All-rounder Mitch Marsh came under heavy punishment, returning figures of 0-53 off four overs in his first BBL match of the season.
Mitchell Johnson (0-43) and Tim Bresnan (2-40) were also expensive as part of a five-man pace attack, with the Scorchers dearly missing spinner Ashton Agar on international duties.
Hurricanes opener Tim Paine and Dan Christian both copped heavy knocks to the helmet from Johnson bouncers.
But they were among the very few blows the Scorchers could land at Perth’s new $ 1.5 billion stadium.
McDermott struck six sixes and four fours, while Wade tallied 10 fours and a six.
In reply, the Scorchers’ hopes evaporated after a series of quick wickets. Hobart paceman Tom Rogers (3-31) was the chief destroyer early, claiming the key scalps of Cameron Bancroft (1) and Shaun Marsh (30 off 18) in the sixth over to rip the heart out of the Scorchers.
And when George Bailey ran out Ashton Turner for two to leave the Scorchers at 5-57 in the eighth over, it was effectively lights out.
Dan Christian cleaned up the tail to finish with figures of 4-17.
— with AAP
