Cricket South Africa have admitted they blundered in moving the 'Boxing Day' Test to Port Elizabeth in their 2007/2008 programme. And they also admitted that the mid-January Test, which had traditionally been played at Sahara Oval St George's Park each year but was moved to Sahara Stadium Kingsmead this season was a mistake.

Traditionally the Boxing Day Test has always been hosted by KwaZulu-Natal Cricket, but at the Cricket South Africa planning meeting for the 2007/2008 schedule the committee decided to try something new to infuse new interest into the five-day game.

However both Tests the one at Port Elizabeth and the match in Durban, which only lasted three days failed to draw the crowds.

The Port Elizabeth Test drew 4 000 spectators for the first day, but on the next three days the gate figures tumbled an average of 2 500 people came through the turnstiles to give the match an 11 000 crowd figure.

Meanwhile the Test in Durban last week it lasted just three days as the South Africans wrapped up the series 2-1 against the West Indies saw 19 000 spectators coming through the gates.

"It's was definitely a wrong move. We blundered badly," said Gerald Majola, chief executive of Cricket South Africa.

"We wanted to try something new this season by moving the Test matches around. However it did not work as there were hardly any spectators at the Port Elizabeth Test.

"Traditionally the Port Elizabeth Test is played in mid-January and we have had good support from the locals for the match.

We felt that if the crowd support in mid-January was good then it would be better if we had a Boxing Day Test in that city.

"However people living at the coast love the beaches during the Christmas and Boxing Day period, hence we did not attract the crowd for the West Indies Test match."