Which Day of the Test ?

[biased indian]

With the way the crowds are there for the test macth i was wondering .if given a chance to watch only a day of a test match which day will you choose always and why

 

[Goughy]

Always the 2nd day.

You are guaranteed that there will be play and have a good chance of seeing both teams bat and bowl.

 

[S.P. Fleming]

probably 4th day, things always seem to be coming to an interesting climax and often the most thrills are involved, also a good chance of seeing both teams bat.

 

[weldone]

probably 4th day, things always seem to be coming to an interesting climax and often the most thrills are involved, also a good chance of seeing both teams bat.

AWTA

 

[fredfertang]

Agree with Goughy but if the question was restricted to which day of an Ashes series I'd say the first day of the first test - it must have been incredible to have been at the first test in '97 - was lucky enough not to be at work that day - it was quite an experience just watching events unfold in the pub so it must have been awesome to be there

 

[_Ed_]

First day for me. Love the suspense as the bowler starts to run in for the first ball.

 

[zaremba]

Day 1. That's the stage at which England have more than a theoretical chance of winning. It's normally downhill from there.

 

[Uppercut]

Third day. It's when the match truly starts to take shape.

 

[zaremba]

Well let's stick up for the 5th day. How about 12.9.05 - 5th Day, 5th Test, watching Australia cling on to the draw to avoid a 3-1 series drubbing.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Third day, but only because it's traditionally a Saturday over here and you get a decent crowd in. You're likely to see both sides bat and bowl, while the game has also obtained its own character. And also the possibility of a result late on.

 

[GIMH]

Agree with Goughy but if the question was restricted to which day of an Ashes series I'd say the first day of the first test - it must have been incredible to have been at the first test in '97 - was lucky enough not to be at work that day - it was quite an experience just watching events unfold in the pub so it must have been awesome to be there

What do you mean first test? Only test, wasn't it?

Second or third, for mine. They are the ones I'd do. If I had the grapefruits I'd always go with tickets for the 4th, but I'd spend the first three days stressing about the game getting a quick finish

TBH I went to day 3 at Headingley this summer gone, and after our capitulation on day one thought I might not get to see any action that day

 

[fredfertang]

What do you mean first test? Only test, wasn't it?

No there was another one at the Oval later on in the summer

 

[GIMH]

at myself for forgetting that

 

[zaremba]

What do you mean first test? Only test, wasn't it?

Let me remind you, as you (I think) reminded me, there was the 2nd Test at the Oval as well

 

[GIMH]

my own posts coming back to haunt me! The shame.

 

[zaremba]

my own posts coming back to haunt me! The shame.

You'll be forgetting about the sad cancellation of the planned 06/07 Ashes series next

 

[GIMH]

I still at missing the chance to defend our urn, at least it will have only been four years between Ashes. To think after our win in 86-87 we waited ten and a half years for a two-Test rubber!!!

 

[fredfertang]

You'll be forgetting about the sad cancellation of the planned 06/07 Ashes series next

At least they salvaged those few ODIs

 

[Richard]

I still at missing the chance to defend our urn, at least it will have only been four years between Ashes. To think after our win in 86-87 we waited ten and a half years for a two-Test rubber!!!

I think you forget the one-off game in 1993 at The Oval. They had played 5 previous games but these were later declared - rightly - as being little more than warmups, as per 1880.

Anyway, three for me. Just typically the centrepiece of the Test, you're exceptionally unlikely to have less than a fairly full day's play, you might get a result but you're least likely to get "nothing much" happening. Even if a game's a bore-draw, the third day is usually the only day in such games where there's much question about this.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

If you're actually at the ground you can't beat the First Morning of a Test. If you're crawling out of bed at 10:45am and watching with one eye and following an Internet Forum with the other then it probably doesn't matter.