IT'S JUST NOT CRICKET... BUT WHO CARES?

And so we come to the end of another Australian summer of Test cricket, bringing with it plenty of revelations.

Such as the emergence of Shane Watson, who managed to keep his body in one piece for the entire six Test matches, Nathan Hauritz ability to actually spin the ball and take wickets in the process, the complete ineptitude of Pakistan in the field and so on it goes.

But a far bigger revelation has been a revolution unfolding on the periphery of the international scene, long after the Test players have departed from their days' toil. A case of the mice coming out while the cats are away.

We're talking here about the Big Bash, the Twenty20 domestic smashathon being played out between State sides the Redbacks, Bushrangers, Bulls, Tigers, Warriors and, the somewhat mundanely named, Blues.

The success of this most condensed format of the game has been quite astonishing. Last Friday evening, a staggering crowd of more than 43,000 turned up at the MCG to watch Victoria beat Queensland. Last night, in a match where the result was irrelevant, NSW and South Australia attracted a crowd of more than 26,000 to ANZ Stadium in Sydney.

Remember, the players here are the same -- with the odd exception -- as those who play four-day Sheffield Shield matches in front of maybe 200 spectators on other days of the week. And the same as those who play the 'traditional' limited overs games of 50 overs a side, matches which must seem to some T20 fans as a relic of the olden days.

So what does all this say about the cricket watching public? Does it imply the days of Test cricket are numbered? Or that the 50 overs games are about to become redundant? Or simply that there is an audience, possibly a different audience, that has embraced the add water and stir format in addition to the three veg and meat crowd who've tucked in for some many years.

T20 is a reflection on the changing desires of society. In a world where we are spoilt for choice, often time poor and with diminishing concentration levels, the smash and bash approach of this game has hit the spot.

Five days of Test cricket may be too long for some. Four days of Sheffield Shield cricket too long for others. And even 100 overs for a one-dayer is a bit of a drag for the new breed.

Rather, T20 comes, creates havoc and goes, in the space of three hours. This is a game where batsmen play themselves in as they dash to the wicket -- forget the two or three overs bit. It's a game where hat-tricks become the norm. It's a game where statisticians count sixes more than fours. It's a game where bowling figures contain, not maidens, but dot balls! Yes, every ball is crucial in this form of the game where a comfortable target is around eight an over and a team can't feel safe even with 200 on the board.

It's mad helter-skelter cricket. Fox Sports should be congratulated with its presentation of these games, with the lively commentary team of Brendan Julian, Damien Fleming, Mark Waugh and Co., and the smiling face of Sarah Jones meeting and greeting the batsmen for their insights immediately on their dismissals. The commentators are sometimes a little irreverent and always having fun.

It may not be for the purists but, you know, it grows on you. The fans are voting with their feet by attending the games. They have fun, as do the players, notwithstanding the riches that await those who can make a name for themselves and impress the powerbrokers of the IPL in India.

Despite the occasional grim forecasts, T20 is not sounding the death knell for Test cricket. It's bringing a new audience to a game that's still called cricket, but not the sort of cricket some of us grew up with.

As Molly would say, do yourself a favour. Take off your blinkers and accept it for what it is. Because this convert has decided there's a lot to like about it.