Cricket stuff that doesn't deserve its own thread

[Gnske]

Four-day Tests loom in Australia's future - ESPNcricinfo

"F*** third-world countries" - Kevin Roberts circa some time in the next two years.

Am I just too dense to understand the rationale, or is it really as lacking in understanding, deep motivation and care and instead full of a desire to create a whole new level of associates as I believe it to represent?

 

[cnerd123]

The sad thing is I don't think we'll ever see a time where administrators will look to make the game longer. If we shorten it to 4 days now, we'll shorten it to 3 days in another few decades.

Just seems to be the way the world is moving - shorter, faster, quicker. More instant gratification and less slow boil.

 

[AndrewB]

Given that the 1931 Lord's Test saw 1293 runs in 420 overs across 3 days, while the recent Adelaide Test saw 1083 runs in 413 overs across 4 2/3 days, you could argue that Test cricket is neither shorter nor quicker than it used to be.

 

[trundler]

The drastic drop in over rates is so utterly perplexing. Surely can't just be because of fast bowlers. Plus, shouldn't over rates be higher now that cricketers are supposed to be fitter than ever? It's unthinkable for a modern day spinner to carry a workload as heavy as say, Grimmett.

 

[andmark]

The drastic drop in over rates is so utterly perplexing. Surely can't just be because of fast bowlers. Plus, shouldn't over rates be higher now that cricketers are supposed to be fitter than ever? It's unthinkable for a modern day spinner to carry a workload as heavy as say, Grimmett.

I don't know how the different number of balls per over in days gone by would affect it, but it might be an influence.

 

[stephen]

A lot more thought goes into field placement than it used to.

 

[stephen]

I think 4 day tests are reasonable for tests vs minnows when scheduling is tight. But so long as they're the exception, not the rule I'm not opposed. I would hate for Ashes tests to be 4 days.

 

[Starfighter]

The drastic drop in over rates is so utterly perplexing. Surely can't just be because of fast bowlers. Plus, shouldn't over rates be higher now that cricketers are supposed to be fitter than ever? It's unthinkable for a modern day spinner to carry a workload as heavy as say, Grimmett.

It's partly because of fast bowlers. However I think other things have an influence such as (aside from artificial breaks such as reviews) more frequent drinks breaks (the batsmen seem to be able to call for drinks when they damn well want, I remember Dhoni going about every six overs on a 28 degree day once), deeper fields and higher boundary frequency due to modern bats and faster outfields, and far more frequent field adjustments (probably partly due to having many more left handers). I think field adjustments are a big one.
However I think time wasting by the batsmen is a very big one. It was very noticeable during the second Bang vs WI test, very often the bowler was waiting for a long time at the top of their mark while the batsmen was fiddling with their bat handle, tapping at the crease or taking guard for the millionth time. Bangladesh bowled no overs of pace at all during that match yet were still only achieving about 90 balls/hour. Previously similarly composed attacks were achieving around 150 balls/hour. It would have been impossible to win a three day match on a 'good' wicket at modern rates.

I don't know how the different number of balls per over in days gone by would affect it, but it might be an influence.

The highest over rates I'm aware of were in post-war England with six ball overs. India with a nearly no-pace attack achieved a rate of 167 balls/hour in the first innings against England at Lords in 1946, double the normal modern rate for, say, a match in Australia.

 

[Starfighter]

Might I add that this sort of thing shows the ignorance that people like Roberts have for the history of the game.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

This confirms what I suspected, Sutherland may be going but Roberts is well and truly cut from the same cloth.

 

[Flem274*]

i could maybe be convinced on 4 day tests if play was from 8am-6pm (or 12pm-10pm)

people not having 5 days to invest is valid, but with day nighters and extended hours of play it would make the game far easier to watch

 

[Gnske]

Flem, that's a fascinating argument. But remember, the average test match still only lasts four days according to the great leader Kevin Roberts. So by lowering the maximum time to the average, that means test matches will definitely finish on time, create more results and impact absolutely nothing at all in regards to gameplay and how pitches are constructed.

And we must trust the same organisation that was recently gutted by its own stakeholders.

 

[NotMcKenzie]

A lot more useless fiddling around goes into field placement than it used to.

This is more accurate

 

[Adders]

Made me laugh......BA West Indies tour shirt.......

 

[a massive zebra]

A quote from David Frith's Bodyline Autopsy:

Tommy Mitchell had another enjoyable time, spinning out six in the first innings (three stumped by Ames) and five in the second, amazing the locals by sometimes getting through an over in 46 seconds.

I doubt any contemporary professional bowlers are even half as fast at getting through their overs!

 

[TheJediBrah]

~6-7 seconds per ball. A bit hard to believe. The batsman would have to play the ball then be facing up a few seconds later.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Jadeja used to hurry the batsmen a little

 

[AndrewB]

I think 4 day tests are reasonable for tests vs minnows when scheduling is tight. But so long as they're the exception, not the rule I'm not opposed. I would hate for Ashes tests to be 4 days.

In the 2015 series three of the matches ended on the 4th day. The other two didn’t last that long.

 

[Hicheal Michael]

Alastair Cook getting a knighthood?

 

[stephen]

In the 2015 series three of the matches ended on the 4th day. The other two didn’t last that long.

And I really hated those tests. But I guess that was more for cricketing reasons than their length.