There were a few less viewers than last year but day-night Test cricket has again proved a television ratings winner for the Nine Network.
The final session on day one of Australia's third Test against South Africa at Adelaide Oval was the highest rating program in the prime time slot on Thursday.
Almost 950,000 metropolitan viewers tuned in to see South African captain Faf du Plessis reach triple figures and youngster Matt Renshaw face his first ball for Australia.
It was a slight drop-off from the corresponding session last year when first pink-ball Test between Australia and New Zealand last November hit 1.05 million viewers on day one.
It was the third most-watched program on Thursday, beaten overall only by the Seven Network's regular ratings winners News and Today Tonight, according to Oztam.
The second session was seventh with 597,000 viewers.
It continues a strong trend for day-night Test after its introduction a year ago.
The trans-Tasman day-night Test audience hit 1.6 million viewers last year when the match peaked on the third, and ultimately final, day in Adelaide.
With Australia much more competitive at Adelaide Oval, the day one figures improved on the figures during the first Test earlier this month in Perth, where the final session falls in the east coast's TV prime time.
The third session WACA Test averaged 749,000 across four nights.
Crowd figures were also well up, with some 32,000 fans attending day one at Adelaide Oval to easily eclipse the series' previous best attendance figure of 13,000 on the second day of the first Test in Perth.
Share
