If you walked past the MCG midway through this afternoon, you could have been forgiven for thinking that there was no-one inside the great stadium except the cleaning staff. And the seagulls. And maybe the odd couple meandering through the Sports Museum.

Yet, anybody who peered past security at the turnstiles would have seen a cricket match unfolding inside, and a One-Day International at that, between Australia and Sri Lanka, hardly slouches in the matter of excitement and star quality.

But it was the first Wednesday of November and therefore the day after the Melbourne Cup - and the day before Oaks Day. So this was an experimental bit of fixturing by Cricket Australia: no-one could remember a one-day international being scheduled at the MCG this early in November, and sandwiched between two such big race days.

That, the chilly weather and the distinct lack of promotion and advertising, meant only a few thousand people were in their seats in time for the opening overs. It was all a distant cry from the glory days of one-day cricket in the 1980s when it didn't matter who was playing, or what the weather, crowds flocked to Australian grounds to see the relative novelty of 50-over matches.

In this new Twenty20-obsessed world, how times have changed. The entire top deck was empty with only a smattering of fans perched on the second tier awaiting the opening ball of the match; 10 years ago, the same ground would have been heaving with people.

It was an eerie feeling sitting several rows back from the fence with only a few other spectators in the same bay. The match had an aura that was more reminiscent of an event where the invitations to 75 per cent of guests were lost in the mail. And by the end of Australia's innings there might have been a maximum of 10,000 or 12,000 in the ground.

And what a spectacle they missed as the home side crashed to its ninth defeat in a row - in all forms of the game - in the most extraordinary fashion. Having batted first and compiled a respectable but hardly breathtaking 8-239, Australia then tore into their task with the ball, reducing the Sri Lankans to 8-107 and looking as though they'd put their miserable recent run behind them.

But Angelo Mathews, one of world cricket's brightest young talents, combined with an unlikely saviour in Lasith Malinga for a Sri Lankan ninth-wicket partnership that just grew - and grew. When they had finished, the pair had set a new record for the ninth-wicket in ODI history - 132 - beating a 27-year-old record set by Kapil Dev and Syed Kirmani at the 1983 World Cup.

That took Sri Lanka to the brink of one of their most famous victories. And yet, for all the stirring deeds and broken records, there was hardly anyone at the MCG to witness it.

Luckily, Melbourne's sizeable Sri Lankan community turned out in force and they just loved what they saw. Halfway through Australia's innings, a good three-quarters of the fans were Sri Lankans, who obviously were glad to be witnessing their cricketing heroes feature in any sort of action.

So while the match was a great advertisement for the 'traditional' 50-over format, questions over its relevance will again be asked today because the crowd voted with its feet and stayed away in droves.

It seemed Australian fans were less enthusiastic about supporting their team, but with so much interest in Twenty20 and the upcoming Ashes series against England, who could really blame them?

Of the select few that were supporting the home team, the majority were just happy that cricket was back in Melbourne and being played at the highest level. These were the hard-core devotees.

"I think it's great. I love being able to come to MCG after work and watch a world-class game of cricket at a world-class venue," said John Roberts of Essendon.

When asked about the future of 50-over cricket, another fan expressed his optimism - even though there was not another spectator within a stone's throw of him. "Yeah, I think it's going to be a part of the Australian sporting calendar for as long as I am alive," said Paul Freeman, of Collingwood.

Although these are optimistic responses when the final gate is taken into consideration, surely the last word must go to the other fans, the fans that didn't show up to the MCG.

It is these people that will cast the final vote on whether or not 50-over cricket continues to be a part of our summer. Five years ago there were 20 ODI's in spread over December, January and February - however, this year there is a paltry 10 from three months action.

If people are still interested in this form of the game then surely they will vote with their feet, if not then one day cricket is definitely a dying bread.