Four-day test cricket

[Daemon]

Yeah, I wasn't too irked about the y-axis thing tbh because that's pretty standard practice when you're trying to make a point (especially one that's isn't quite all there)

Although, I wonder how different the graph looks if you took out tests involving Zimbabwe and Bangladesh? I'm guessing the drop would be less pronounced

Not that different imo. The main reason is because of teams being piss poor away from home.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Complete nonsense of an idea. Fully expect the next brain child to be to limit the first innings to 100 overs.

 

[fredfertang]

If it's just to please the bean counters they could always write it in to the playing conditions that if the game finishes in four days they have a T20 international on the scheduled fifth day

 

[Starfighter]

Complete nonsense of an idea. Fully expect the next brain child to be to limit the first innings to 100 overs.

I've seen this idea suggested many places and it never gets less stupid. It would encourage negative tactics from the bowling side and be absolutely farcical.

If it's just to please the bean counters they could always write it in to the playing conditions that if the game finishes in four days they have a T20 international on the scheduled fifth day

Make that a red-ball T20. I'd wouldn't mind seeing that, although I'm sure the novelty would soon wear off.

 

[AndrewB]

Complete nonsense of an idea. Fully expect the next brain child to be to limit the first innings to 100 overs.

They had that rule in county cricket in the late 70s (though I think the side batting second got the "extra" overs if they bowled out the side batting first in under 100 overs) - can anyone remember if this had farcical results?

 

[cnerd123]

Having had some first-hand experience working with Cricket administration, albeit just at associate level, it absolutely boggles me how those in charge of leading the game in major nations seem to dislike the game so much.

Why are they working in it and who has signed off on them getting these roles? It's really just shocking that anyone from the ECB would even suggest this, let alone try and make this a thing

 

[Lillian Thomson]

They had that rule in county cricket in the late 70s (though I think the side batting second got the "extra" overs if they bowled out the side batting first in under 100 overs) - can anyone remember if this had farcical results?

Three day County Cricket was a complete farce in those days. You would get two days of good competitive cricket, but if the match was going nowhere the captains would get together on the final morning and agree a target with forfeiting of innings and bowling full tosses and crap to produce runs to attain the target they'd agreed to set.

 

[SeamUp]

Bounce-backability also seems to have been lost to the game. SA probably shown the best of it in recent times but being able to fight for the win and draw is all part of the drama 5 days brings.

Something I noticed in the recent Eng vs Saf series was all tests were won by the team winning the toss and batting and getting in front. In a way the game of test cricket is being effected but I hope no more stupid ideas like this are brought in to effect the nuances of test cricket.

In all domestic 4-day series teams do well to get 96-overs in if they do and now they expect 105 with DRS ? Ludicrous.

 

[AndrewB]

Three day County Cricket was a complete farce in those days. You would get two days of good competitive cricket, but if the match was going nowhere the captains would get together on the final morning and agree a target with forfeiting of innings and bowling full tosses and crap to produce runs to attain the target they'd agreed to set.

Going on a bit of a tangent here, but I don't think "declaration bowling" - as opposed to early declarations (that you probably wouldn't see in a Test) to keep the match alive - was as common as people remember it as being... skimming through the 1988 Wisden*, most of the results involved a side taking 20 wickets, and most of the rest involved normal bowling plus declarations/forfeitures.

*it's the only one I have with all 3-day county matches.

 

[fredfertang]

They had that rule in county cricket in the late 70s (though I think the side batting second got the "extra" overs if they bowled out the side batting first in under 100 overs) - can anyone remember if this had farcical results?

In 1966 some County Championship matches had the first innings limited to 65 overs - Wisden seems to conclude it did give the openers the hurry up, but clearly didn't accomplish much as it wasn't persisted with

 

[Starfighter]

In all domestic 4-day series teams do well to get 96-overs in if they do and now they expect 105 with DRS ? Ludicrous.

No. I suggested 105 as a number of overs that would be acceptable for a four day match, equivalent to fourth-and-a-half days of current play. It's be a tall order for any team except maybe spin heavy attacks such as India or maybe Bangladesh to achieve. The ecb's plan is for an extra half hour, which means probably 96 overs a day at current over rates in tests.

Bounce-backability also seems to have been lost to the game. SA probably shown the best of it in recent times but being able to fight for the win and draw is all part of the drama 5 days brings.

Yes, I'd say it has been lost. And I think the problem may actually get worse in four day tests due to scoring rate pressure, except that it would be easier to bat for the draw.

Think of Hanif Mohammad's 337, scored over sixteen hours to overcome a deficit of 473 and draw a six-day match. Headingley 1981 went into a fifth day, and Calcutta 2001 went deep into the last day. These wouldn't have happened with four day matches.

 

[Raffski]

Forget everything that's being said about this, the only reason the ecb (and I suspect the test match grounds themselves) want this is because fifth days are almost always loss making.

 

[Prince EWS]

In a bubble I don't mind the idea of the South Africa/Zimbabwe game being a four day game - allowing this is probably a good way to get teams ranked below 8 some more Tests. If it became a regular thing outside of that situation I'd hate it with an absolute passion though, and regard anyone who supported the move as an enemy of cricket. I like to think I'd actually go ahead and boycott the games, but deep down I know I wouldn't.

 

[S.Kennedy]

It did used to lead to an exciting final day, the three-day matches, and would lead to situations like what Gloucestershire used to do. They'd put out the rumour that Courtney Walsh was buggered and limit his overs or get him to bowl some rubbish in the first innings to lure the opposition into generous first innings declarations. They would then skittle them out cheaply the second time.

 

[Spikey]

In a bubble I don't mind the idea of the South Africa/Zimbabwe game being a four day game - allowing this is probably a good way to get teams ranked below 8 some more Tests. If it became a regular thing outside of that situation I'd hate it with an absolute passion though, and regard anyone who supported the move as an enemy of cricket. I like to think I'd actually go ahead and boycott the games, but deep down I know I wouldn't.

You could take a knee during the anthem

 

[Prince EWS]

You could take a knee during the anthem

I do this already anyway.

 

[S.Kennedy]

They are playing it down now but the real reason emerges,

He (Colin Graves) believes the loss of a day would allow each Test to begin on Thursday, with the first two days making money from corporate hospitality, and the weekend dedicated to ordinary fans.

ECB deny pushing for four-day Test match cricket | Daily Mail Online

 

[NotMcKenzie]

Of course, by extra half-hour added, they mean longer nominal playing hours before the extra half-hour is added for slow over-rates, *****-footing, altering field-placements, running drinks onto the ground, sight-screen changes taking ages, d.r.s., etc.

And if a captain does not buy into #intent, more defensive ones probably won't alter their tactics too much.

 

[Starfighter]

ECB deny pushing for four-day Test match cricket | Daily Mail Online

So according to that they have considered 105 overs. Hmm. If four day tests do happen that's what they should go with, but they won't.

Unless we go back to soft uncovered wickets and see the return of the steady medium pacer.

 

[straw man]

Didn't understand how 4-day tests would actually help improve anything cricket-wise last time we had this thread (when Fred Tetanus spammed obnoxiously all over it iirc)

... and I still don't.