CA offers free tickets to Gabba crowd

Big Bash patrons who attended Thursday's abandoned game at the Gabba will be offered free entry to next week's first Domain Test against Sri Lanka, Cricket Australia has announced.

CA and Queensland Cricket confirmed ticket holders for the Brisbane Heat-Sydney Thunder clash that was abandoned three overs into the second innings will be offered complimentary entry to one day's play of the Gabba Test.

A power grid failure in east Brisbane saw two floodlights and a number of overhead lights surrounding one half of the ground go out on Thursday evening. They could not be fixed in time for play to resume, leaving the match officially abandoned and the two points evenly split.

Head of Fan Engagement Anthony Everard said CA was investigating the causes of the light failures and revealed fans who attended the BBL game would be offered free tickets to the Australia-Sri Lanka series opener.

The first Test, a day-night game to be played with a pink ball, begins Thursday at the Gabba.

"Last night's match was unable to be completed due to an external power issue that was outside the control of the Brisbane Heat and Cricket Australia," said Everard.

"We are now working with Stadiums Queensland to investigate why this occurred, and to ensure there will be no further issues at future matches.

"Under Cricket Australia's established terms and conditions, the 23 overs of play including the full innings of the Thunder meant that refunds are not applicable in this instance.

"However, the Heat and Cricket Australia would like to extend an offer to fans to attend next week's day-night First Domain Test match between Australia and Sri Lanka at the Gabba for free."

The offer applies to all Ticketek ticket holders from the BBL game, including Heat members, CA said.

The Thunder, who had reduced the Heat to 2-10 after skipper Shane Watson's brilliant century helped set the Heat 187 to win, were left frustrated their offer to only bowl spin for the rest of the match was not accepted.

Match officials had decided the reduced light posed a potential risk to players and fans.

"(I'm) disappointed with the circumstances of the finishing of the game," Thunder coach Shane Bond said. "It's a bad look for the competition and I think there needs to be some reflection or review.

"It came from the powers above that Brisbane had to agree to it, so if Brisbane had agreed, the conditions would've been deemed safe.

"They obviously didn't want to play because they were in a bit of crap – which is fair enough, we would've done the same – but then the excuse from the match referee and umpires was that conditions were now unsafe. Which doesn't make any sense when if Brisbane had agreed it would have been (deemed) safe."

Heat coach Dan Vettori, Bond's former New Zealand teammate, on the other hand said the decision-making process had been dictated – and ultimately determined – by the umpires.

"We took the cues from the match referee and the umpires," he said. "They said that they deemed that it wasn't right to play from a safety aspect.

"I feel sorry for the match officials, they're under the most pressure, the most scrutiny around what's going on.

"They used their discretion around what was right and what was wrong, and they stuck to their guns."

Domain Test Series v Sri Lanka

Australia: Tim Paine (c/wk), Josh Hazlewood (vc), Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Will Pucovski, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle

Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (c), Dimuth Karunaratne, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dhananjaya de Silva, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Kusal Perera, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Lahiru Kumara, Dushmantha Chameera, Kasun Rajitha

CA XI: Joe Burns (c), Kurtis Patterson (vc), Scott Boland, Jake Doran (wk), Jon Holland, Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser, Will Pucovski, Jason Sangha, Matt Renshaw, Chris Tremain

Jan 17-19: Tour match, CA XI v SL, Hobart (D/N)

Jan 24-28: First Test, Gabba (D/N)

Feb 1-5: Second Test, Canberra