Four-day test cricket

[Justo]

About the only possible benefit I could see from it is if it meant more Tests were played overall due to the extra time saved (E.G. no more 2 match series) but I don't see that happening and instead more meaningless ODI's and T20's to fill the calendar.

 

[cnerd123]

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.

It doesn't improve anything. They aren't even trying to claim it will improve anything. It just makes them earn more money. Thursday and Fridays are 'Corporate' days, Saturday and Sunday for the 'ordinary' fans, and there is no loss-making fifth day in the schedule anymore. 20% less cost per Test, maintain basically the same revenue, it's such a no-brainer.

A purely financial decision being made with absolutely no regard for the sport as a whole. It's disgusting. How can people who hate cricket so much get jobs running it?

 

[Starfighter]

Like it or not money makes the world go round. But if four day tests are worse (and they will be) then no one will watch anyway, defeating the whole exercise's purpose.

 

[cnerd123]

People will still watch it. That's not the issue. The issue is that the ECB have made their stance clear - cricket exists to make money. It doesn't make money to exist. It is no longer something that's greater than the individuals or organisations involved, but now a product to be produced, packaged and sold. The Cricket administrators in England no longer work to uphold the game and ensure its continued existence and growth, they now work squeeze it for every dollar it's worth.

And this is so short sighted. You gain a little bit of extra revenue per match, but you take away one of the key elements of the sport. The 5th day. It's such a huge part of what Test cricket is. It's not one of those things that has become antiquated with the times and no longer serves a purpose. We've literally had dozes of great 5th-day finishes in the last couple of years. It's part of the whole appeal of Test cricket. And they want it gone. Chopped off. No more 5th days.

What's worrying about this isn't that it will drive fans away from the game. Not yet anyways. What's worrying is that it sets a precedent. Decisions on the future of cricket have nothing to do with actual cricketing reasons. They all have to do with what makes the most money. What will we have next? Playing international cricket on standardized astrotuf wickets because they're cheaper to maintain? A new ball being used because it's cheaper to produce? Re-writing the laws so that all sixes henceforth are called DLF Maximums?

What this decisions says is that nothing in cricket is sacred anymore. The game itself actually doesn't matter. The things that make cricket the beautiful, nuanced, complicated, strategic game that it is...these things are secondary. What's important is balancing the books at the end of the day. And if it's a choice of trying to spread the game to new audiences and trying to grow it in the long term, or chopping it up to increase your year-end bonus in the short term, we know what choice the ECB will take,

It's short sighted. It's greedy. It's a decision made by people who have no love for the game yet somehow have been given the power to control it's future. It's disgusting.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

This is like 5 innings Baseball. Which is what departments and faculties play in college.

My point is, it becomes a game that is not the pinnacle of the sport.

Four day matches are what our club teams play.

 

[Starfighter]

And if it's a choice of trying to spread the game to new audiences and trying to grow it in the long term, or chopping it up to increase your year-end bonus in the short term, we know what choice the ECB will take

And therein lies the problem. Make a quick buck, get out, let others deal with the consequences decades down the track.

The fact that the ECB can't see that having an inaccessible broadcast will kill the game in the long run says a lot. They talk about a city based t20 league because it's worked here without realising that it's because people here can watch it. Attendance at the 2009-10 T20 Big Bash averaged 18k while that of the 2012-13 BBL was 14k. Because it was on Fox Sports not many saw it. Now that it's on Ten match attendances have topped 30k, and of course the TV audience is much larger. The fact that Sky can pony up a bigger deal takes precedence, but when they decide to get out the ECB will be really up the creek because the audience will have gone.

If you want people to watch cricket let them see cricket. Four day tests will attract precisely zero more people and will be damaging in the long run, but it will make a little cash initially, and when the damage is done those responsible will have long moved on.

 

[cnerd123]

It just boils back down to how these people were allowed to hold these positions

Cricket is being hijacked by businessmen in it just for their own self interest.

 

[S.Kennedy]

The fifth day is also traditionally a good day for people who are broke or spendthrifts getting in for a tenner to see a 'result'. They will not bring much money in either I suppose?

When the ECB mentions corporate hospitality that is exactly who the ECB are, corporate types; they all speak in managerial speak, ''targets'', and ''broadening our economic compass'' and guff like that - Strauss joined them and instantly began speaking managerial speak also! They are basically all dodgy handshake guys, who enjoy preening in their suits in corporate boxes making dodgy deals. That is the type of people they are, Graves, Clarke, Harrison, Strauss. Witness their toadying up to convicted fraudster Allen Stanford.

 

[honestbharani]

Why are they viewing each day in isolation? What if the phenomenon was more due to "last day" of the match than the "fifth day"? What will they do if people just don't turn up for the fourth day either? And if the last day being a monday is the problem, start the ****ing test on Wednesday. As I said, even as businessmen, Giles Clarke and Co. are as dumb and full of their own **** as they come.

 

[S.Kennedy]

It is emanating from England also which is the one place where you often see fourth day sell outs and, perhaps not a sell out but certainly a packed fifth day, with droves of people paying at the turnstiles at the reduced rate - if there is a prospect of a lot of play and/or an England victory this is often the case. The English have not turned their backs on test cricket like elsewhere. It would perhaps make (economic) sense if this scheme was being put forth by the Indian Board, ''one man and his dog'' on day one.

 

[honestbharani]

But India still has big viewership numbers for tests online and on TV. That is why you see them arrange the tests against Sri Lanka. It obviously depends on how successful the team is and thankfully this team has been good so far.

 

[TheJediBrah]

You could televise an hour of 2 random people throwing a cricket ball back and forth on the street in India and a billion people would watch it.

I'm exaggerating of course, but I don't think India is a country where anyone's particularly concerned with lack of interest in cricket

 

[honestbharani]

Issue is the ticket prices can tend to be exorbitant, esp. in the traditional "cricket cities". Of course, you also get good crowds almost always in these cities inspite of the prices. But recent trend has been that the newer centers get much better numbers at the ground.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Exorbitant prices seem a bit slimy business-wise, but I guess you can't argue with supply and demand. If people are going to pack out the stadiums anyway why would they reduce prices?

 

[Teja.]

Great move, sachin records safe.

 

[weldone]

uh, someone rescue test cricket from these morons please..

 

[GotSpin]

Shouldn't Strauss know the value of a 5th day? Jesus christ man

 

[TheJediBrah]

Also think about how much it will affect the role of spinners in the game (outside the subcontinent) with no 5th day. Especially when you consider they'll likely try to grass-up the pitches, you can see a lot of sides just not picking a specialist spinner.

 

[cnerd123]

Also think about how much it will affect the role of spinners in the game (outside the subcontinent) with no 5th day. Especially when you consider they'll likely try to grass-up the pitches, you can see a lot of sides just not picking a specialist spinner.

And so we've stumbled on the real reason the ECB are proposing this - to neuter Nathan Lyon in future Ashes series

 

[Howe_zat]

I just don't get the point.

Sky hates fifth days because they pay their ex-England captain pundits thousands to cover cricket that often isn't happening, and waste broadcast hours on 'live cricket' that isn't pulling in an audience.

That's it. That's the entire reason. If the ECB attempts to claim otherwise they are lying through their teeth.

There exists four-day cricket in England already. It makes no money, of course, but Sky aren't invested in it, so it's not changing.