vegster
Sanity Clause
- May 5, 2008
- 28,273
Quite often though County Championship matches are lost to the weather as they have to cram in back to back matches in April/May and September.
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Incoming ECB chairman Colin Graves goes to bat for four-day Tests
- Thread starter TomandJerry
- Start date
Quite often though County Championship matches are lost to the weather as they have to cram in back to back matches in April/May and September.
I'd like to see Sussex play on Saturday more often, rarely happens for some reason.
Bladders
Twats everywhere
I'd like to see the 4 day game played in the sunnier months ( I know that's not guarantee in this country with the weather) with the shorter formats before and after as the window they need for good weather is shorter.
Five day tests are the heart and soul of cricket, as, to a lesser extent, are three and four day county matches. I know the big bash baseball type one day thrashes are pulling in bigger crowds, and will probably be all that's left in the future. I just hope it doesn't mean the end of test cricket in my lifetime.
OzMike
Well-known member
There will be a lot of draws if this happened.
I think 5 days is fine, but with an additional day possible as the result of play lost to the weather, to secure a result.
I think 5 days is fine, but with an additional day possible as the result of play lost to the weather, to secure a result.
studio150
Well-known member
Pros and Cons on the proposal. In theory only 30 overs or one session is lost from the 5 day format due to the increase to 105 overs a day. However I'm not sure that fast bowlers will be too keen. From a spectator view point, the crowds always start to thin out after tea, as people make their way home, with the extra overs and current over rates how many will be left in the ground at 7.30 or later.
The balance between bat and ball is likely to change significantly due to the twilight period, floodlights, dew and other climatic conditions, which could see an imbalance between the teams depending on when they are batting. It could also see very slow afternoon over rates if the bowling side gain a huge advantage in the evening/night session.
This would not attract more people to watch test matches.
Would the 4 day format also lose the nail biting 5th finishes, Anderson against Sri Lanka last year, the Aussie Cardiff test,,,,
I would have thought the bast way to maintain and attract large crowds is to have reasonable ticket prices. While a top price of around £100 for Lords and the Oval against Australia or India are acceptable to many, the same price for the West Indies, New Zealand at Durham, Leeds is over priced.
While games evolve over time, I would prefer to stay with 5 day tests, given that this lifts them above county/state games which are 4 days.
The balance between bat and ball is likely to change significantly due to the twilight period, floodlights, dew and other climatic conditions, which could see an imbalance between the teams depending on when they are batting. It could also see very slow afternoon over rates if the bowling side gain a huge advantage in the evening/night session.
This would not attract more people to watch test matches.
Would the 4 day format also lose the nail biting 5th finishes, Anderson against Sri Lanka last year, the Aussie Cardiff test,,,,
I would have thought the bast way to maintain and attract large crowds is to have reasonable ticket prices. While a top price of around £100 for Lords and the Oval against Australia or India are acceptable to many, the same price for the West Indies, New Zealand at Durham, Leeds is over priced.
While games evolve over time, I would prefer to stay with 5 day tests, given that this lifts them above county/state games which are 4 days.
They could do what happens at Wimbledon and resell the seats of the departing spectators: people would happily pay for a couple of hours of test cricket for a tenner, say. That would actually lead to more income
Why limit it to 105 overs a day: why not 110 or 120? When Australia knocked up their massive 721 runs in one day in 1948, Essex bowled 128 overs (and that was in a normal days play). I don't see why we shouldn't aim higher - it would encourage more spinners for one thing
Uncle Buck
Ghost Writer
- Jul 7, 2003
- 28,075
Would there though?
This proposal is suggesting adding 15 extra overs to each day, so in reality compared with a test in its current format, we would only be losing 30 overs, so one session.
How many games do go to a fifth day and how many go to the last session on the fifth day?
studio150
Well-known member
And the results for all Division 1 counties P 16 W 0 D 16 L 0 with the champions being the ones with the least games affected by the rain, and the first innings bonus points. Great news!
- Apr 5, 2014
- 25,929
Well, no, it'll mean a return to contrived results and innings forfeiture.
Although, if your suggestion was realised, it would mean good news for Sussex and a few grumpy Lancastrians again.....
Last edited:
- Apr 5, 2014
- 25,929
The problem is the shift in power. India is now a major player on the stage, and the desire for the shorter format is insatiable. Test Cricket is dieing a long and painful death with England being the main nation of appetite.
It seems such a long time ago when I remember Eden Gardens packed to the rafters for the most boring test rubber in history. India v England 81/82. Mind you, it was a long time ago.
It seems such a long time ago when I remember Eden Gardens packed to the rafters for the most boring test rubber in history. India v England 81/82. Mind you, it was a long time ago.
There would probably be lots of contrived results like in the old days.
EDIT like Brighton Lines just said
That was an absolute shocker of a series and probably did more damage to the concept of test cricket than any other rubber since. The two teams (India especially but England weren't much better) should really have been punished in some way and told that that sort of cricket wasn't acceptable
KZNSeagull
Well-known member
He needs to find 6 new bowlers then, as this current lot would be bowling for at least 2 days and would be knackered/injured after 1 match.
- Apr 5, 2014
- 25,929
It saw the introduction of the 90 overs rule the following summer. So one good thing came from it.
Hotchilidog
Well-known member
- Jan 24, 2009
- 9,122
As ECB suggestions go, I have heard much worse, especially if they ENFORCE the 105 a day over rule.
As for the poster who wanted to see Sussex on saturdays, you can watch them on sundays instead as that will be the start day for most of the LVCC games. Have to say I do miss seeing the finish to games but as long as the weather is good getting a full opening days play on a sunday can be most enjoyable
As for the poster who wanted to see Sussex on saturdays, you can watch them on sundays instead as that will be the start day for most of the LVCC games. Have to say I do miss seeing the finish to games but as long as the weather is good getting a full opening days play on a sunday can be most enjoyable
Uncle Buck
Ghost Writer
- Jul 7, 2003
- 28,075
For crowds (not corporate), Friday to Monday would be best.
The current Sunday to Wednesday was not popular with the commercial department, as day one was always one of the better days for selling corporate hospitality and that will not happen on a Sunday.
KZNSeagull
Well-known member
I would leave Test cricket as it is - there have been some good series recently and the crowds in the UK are usually good. I thought they were in India too, to be honest. Crowds in SA are appalling (unless England/Aus are playing), but they are for domestic cricket too. I really would not fiddle with something that has been fine for over a hundred years, just because crowds at one-dayers and 20/20 are better - milk them rather and leave Test cricket alone.
Bold Seagull
strong and stable with me, or...
Cricket has to evolve. 5 Day Test cricket is not working for a lot of countries.
We had similar concerns when the rest day was dropped in the middle of a test. Let us not forget that test cricket started as a 3 or 4 day format, it wasn't until 1948 that the first 5 day test match was played in England. Declarations weren't introduced until 1957, in Australia and some parts of the world they were still bowling 8 ball overs until 1980 when the 6 ball over became universal.
So cricket does and always has accommodated change. Test cricket does need to change, dwindling attendance means it has to. Groundsman could also benefit from preparing more lively pitches that do not have to hold up so long - a theory anyway, but something has to be done about the dull test tracks we seem to see with too much regularity.
Cricketers are now professional athletes like never before, and their fitness ethic still has massive room for improvement. I think all test teams could benefit from an extra bowler anyway as too many play just 3 or 4 with batting allrounders. Getting 4 or 5 bowlers in will even up the battle between bat and ball.
We had similar concerns when the rest day was dropped in the middle of a test. Let us not forget that test cricket started as a 3 or 4 day format, it wasn't until 1948 that the first 5 day test match was played in England. Declarations weren't introduced until 1957, in Australia and some parts of the world they were still bowling 8 ball overs until 1980 when the 6 ball over became universal.
So cricket does and always has accommodated change. Test cricket does need to change, dwindling attendance means it has to. Groundsman could also benefit from preparing more lively pitches that do not have to hold up so long - a theory anyway, but something has to be done about the dull test tracks we seem to see with too much regularity.
Cricketers are now professional athletes like never before, and their fitness ethic still has massive room for improvement. I think all test teams could benefit from an extra bowler anyway as too many play just 3 or 4 with batting allrounders. Getting 4 or 5 bowlers in will even up the battle between bat and ball.