Melbourne, Jan. 25 : If fresh ratings are anything to go by, one-day international cricket has been given the ''''kiss of life''''.
Figures released by industry body Free TV show the opening one-day international between Australia and England at the MCG attracted a staggering 2.57 million viewers.
Channel Nine''s cricket coverage has also consistently out rated Channel Seven''s Australian Open tennis, with ratings perhaps hurt by Lleyton Hewitt''s defeat.
Saturday night''s double-header involving Sam Stosur and Bernard Tomic had an average of 1.43 million viewers, making it only the 21st most watched program of the summer so far, The Age reports.
''''The numbers for the one-dayers have been amazing,'''' it quoted Nine''s head of sport Steve Crawley, describing them as ''''the kiss of life'''' for the sport.
''''I didn''t think it was dead. It was just the case of needing good cricket,'''' he said.
Australia''s victory against England in Hobart on Friday night was the fourth-most viewed cricket match of the summer, attracting 1.6 million viewers at night.
Australia''s victory in Sydney on Sunday night was also expected to top about 2 million viewers nationally.
Cricket Australia, which is set to stage the 2015 World Cup, was so concerned about the one-day brand that it has trialled a new four-innings format this summer in domestic competition. (ANI)
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