SA Footy

Officials pitch for day-night Tests
CRICKET Australia is preparing to defy 130 years of tradition by trialling day-night Test matches within three years.

The projected move will horrify many of the game's conservative fans but administrators hope it will tap into the growing audiences attracted to the one-day and Twenty20 matches that threaten to eclipse the relevance of the five-day game.

The trial will be the biggest revolution to hit the game since Kerry Packer introduced World Series Cricket 30 years ago.

Officials are examining the possibility of scheduling games from 2pm-9pm or 3pm-10pm, saying the move will allow more people to watch the cricket at the grounds and on television.

Tests, which traditionally begin at 11am and finish at 6pm, always span weekends, but suffer from smaller audiences on weekdays when people work. The day games also miss TV's prime ratings periods.

"We are tossing it around and working out the fundamentals," Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said last night.

"In a realistic sense, we don't see any reason why we can't be at least trialling some day-night Test cricket matches - not necessarily all of them - before the end of the decade. It could happen sooner, I don't know. We need to explore that and go through a consultative process."

The day-night Test is being explored even as grassroots National Rugby League fans have launched a campaign against the sport's night grand finals, and the idea is sure to cause howls of outrage from traditionalist who fret over any changes to cricket.

"I'm not going to say we will do it for all Tests," Sutherland said.

"I am saying that in order to meet consumer demands and to satisfy, if not fuel, consumer interests in the game it would appear there are many good reasons why we should be playing Test cricket at night."

Day-night one-day international matches were introduced by Packer in November 1978, using yellow and later white balls. They have proven to be a hit with TV audiences and crowds who can pick up the game after work.

Sutherland said the projected Test move was not being driven by television rights holder the Nine Network, and he said that had not spoken with the network about the idea.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting was not overjoyed with the idea.

"I'm a bit of a traditionalist," he said.

"I wouldn't like to be changing the way Test cricket is looked at and played too much.

"We had day-night Shield games a while ago, although I didn't play in them. They played a lot in Perth, they played a lot in Brisbane, and by all accounts they were a nightmare for batsmen."

The biggest problem with night cricket is finding a ball that can be seen and that can endure the rigours of Test matches. Trials with day-night state matches in the past encountered problems with seeing the yellow ball, particularly at dusk, and also the amount of dew that fell on some grounds.

Kookaburra has developed a pink ball, which is being trialled in Australian women's cricket this year as a promotional tool for breast cancer, but there are plans to introduce it to English county cricket next season.

In Australia, there are light towers at every Test venue except Bellerive in Hobart.

In countries such as India, where cricket is played during winter, and is limited by short days, day-night cricket could extend the season.

Sutherland said the day-night Tests would make the game available to more people.

"Cricket is sport but it's also entertainment and as administrators our responsibility is to meet customers' needs," he said.
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I think the occasional night test might be worth while. The only problem that I think they might have to overcome is batsmen not being able to pick up the ball as well as they could.

What does everyone else think about the idea??

The ball seems to be the biggest problem to overcome. If they can overcome that problem (and that's a big if), I don't really see any problem with it. Although if I had to choose I'd choose to keep it as it is.

I can see the positives with bigger audiences etc but i just can't see how it can work. As Ponting pointed out the day/night Shield games were a disaster and i can't see that anything can really change that will make Test matches work differently.

Can see problems with it but more so on the crowd side, we have seen some acts of terrible crowd behaviour in the ODI day/night comp, when there is all action. Can you imagine knocking off work and going sitting through a couple of sessions on the hill when the cricket is nowhere near as exciting, may well lead to trouble with the drunks one would think.

I disagree with that one - drunks are drunks whether it be day or night time!
The drunks who go to ODI's are much different from those who go to Test matches.

I prefer to drink and watch the Test matches, but if I was a bloke who was more interested at getting blind and hurling abuse/cups/vomit/cups full of vomit, then I'd go to an ODI to do it...

Some of the Supertests were played as day/night matches, and the players found it difficult to adjust to 5 days straight of the times allocated - going to sleep at say 2 am, then getting up at 10/11 am wasn't a hit from the players at the time. I wouldn't mind seeing how it would go for a Test or two myself, just for novelty sake. Somehow I don't think it will become a regular occurance, mind you.

The concept of day/night tests was in fact brought to my attention
about 10 years ago by BAYMAN
BAYMAN actually raised the issue with a cricket authority back then.
The authority endosed BAYMANs thoughts , but nothing eventuated.
BAYMANS main point was he cannot get time off work to be at a Test Match,
but a night 2nd half would allow him to attend.
Good idea, has merit, and if it works out fair and square why not, all sports
need to evolve with new concepts.

Didn't they trial an orange ball in those day/night shield games?

Those games were certainly dominated by the bowlers once the lights took over. The ball swung so much back then. Even more than what a white ball would at times.

Keefy wrote:Didn't they trial an orange ball in those day/night shield games?

Those games were certainly dominated by the bowlers once the lights took over. The ball swung so much back then. Even more than what a white ball would at times.

Yep, orange balls they were. Regardless of the swing, they were more attractive to look at on the cricket field than the shorts that the Victorian team wore in the one dayers around that time.

Yeah, let's destroy Test Cricket forever so when the novelty hasn't worn off an extra 3000 supporters turn up to watch Sri Lanka play Australia in a Test Match. When good teams turn up, people will watch Tests, that was proven last year. Under lights or not, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and India will continue to draw bugger all.

What bullshit. Leave the game alone. Get the extra dollars through one day cricket and that bullshit 20/20 crap but LEAVE THE GAME ALONE. Imagine trying to bat in Test match conditions at twighlight with a bogus orange ball or whatever it is they want to do.

When the novelty wears off the attendances will return to normal but the game will be forever destroyed. It's sheer greed plain and simple. Of course money will have it's way and we'll all be able to tell our Grandchildren that Cricket was once an unique game that was all about the battle between bat and ball...instead of just another code trying to snaffle as much cash out of our pockets as possible.

CRICKET AUSTRALIA - FAR COUGH.

regards,

REB

Rik E Boy wrote:Yeah, let's destroy Test Cricket forever so when the novelty hasn't worn off an extra 3000 supporters turn up to watch Sri Lanka play Australia in a Test Match. When good teams turn up, people will watch Tests, that was proven last year. Under lights or not, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and India will continue to draw bugger all.

What bullshit. Leave the game alone. Get the extra dollars through one day cricket and that bullshit 20/20 crap but LEAVE THE GAME ALONE. Imagine trying to bat in Test match conditions at twighlight with a bogus orange ball or whatever it is they want to do.

When the novelty wears off the attendances will return to normal but the game will be forever destroyed. It's sheer greed plain and simple. Of course money will have it's way and we'll all be able to tell our Grandchildren that Cricket was once an unique game that was all about the battle between bat and ball...instead of just another code trying to snaffle as much cash out of our pockets as possible.

CRICKET AUSTRALIA - FAR COUGH.

regards,

REB

Im still not totally against the concept
But after reading this post Im now inclined to agree with REB

If you are a Test Cricket fan you will take a day off work to attend a Test match. FFS it's not that hard to organise a day off. If they are serious about boosting Test match crowds they should cut the ticket prices for weekdays.

I believe that the abolition of the Test Cricket we all grew up with will do irrepairable harm to the game. The target market that they are looking at won't suddenly go to Test Matches because they are held at night, they'll keep on attending 20/20 or one day cricket. In the meantime, those that enjoy Test Cricket will be lost to the game forever.

The problem this year is not Test Cricket...it is the fact that THERE IS NO CRICKET AT ALL. If you want to have people coming through the gates try staging some matches. Cricket Australia is a disaster at the moment with no apparent vision beyond last year's successfull Ashes series.

The Rules committee have taken away the contest in football and now James Sutherland and the mighty dollar are coming after Test Cricket, my other sporting love. FAR COUGH CA.

HANDS OFF TEST CRICKET.

regards,

REB

Rik E Boy wrote:Yeah, let's destroy Test Cricket forever so when the novelty hasn't worn off an extra 3000 supporters turn up to watch Sri Lanka play Australia in a Test Match. When good teams turn up, people will watch Tests, that was proven last year. Under lights or not, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and India will continue to draw bugger all.

What bullshit. Leave the game alone. Get the extra dollars through one day cricket and that bullshit 20/20 crap but LEAVE THE GAME ALONE. Imagine trying to bat in Test match conditions at twighlight with a bogus orange ball or whatever it is they want to do.

When the novelty wears off the attendances will return to normal but the game will be forever destroyed. It's sheer greed plain and simple. Of course money will have it's way and we'll all be able to tell our Grandchildren that Cricket was once an unique game that was all about the battle between bat and ball...instead of just another code trying to snaffle as much cash out of our pockets as possible.

CRICKET AUSTRALIA - FAR COUGH.

regards,

REB

Brilliantly put............I stand and applaud.

Rik E Boy wrote:If you are a Test Cricket fan you will take a day off work to attend a Test match. FFS it's not that hard to organise a day off. If they are serious about boosting Test match crowds they should cut the ticket prices for weekdays.

I believe that the abolition of the Test Cricket we all grew up with will do irrepairable harm to the game. The target market that they are looking at won't suddenly go to Test Matches because they are held at night, they'll keep on attending 20/20 or one day cricket. In the meantime, those that enjoy Test Cricket will be lost to the game forever.

The problem this year is not Test Cricket...it is the fact that THERE IS NO CRICKET AT ALL. If you want to have people coming through the gates try staging some matches. Cricket Australia is a disaster at the moment with no apparent vision beyond last year's successfull Ashes series.

The Rules committee have taken away the contest in football and now James Sutherland and the mighty dollar are coming after Test Cricket, my other sporting love. FAR COUGH CA.

HANDS OFF TEST CRICKET.

regards,

REB

Have to agree here 100 percent, well put Reb, really since the days of WSC the game has changed, sometimes in my opinion for the worse, at least leave Test Cricket alone

REB, pointed out one thing and that is the $$$$.
The cost for attending a test is $27 per day, over 5 days and it's $135. Throw in some beers and food and you'd easily push $200.
Now $200 buys me my Glenelg FULL season membership, and a new polo plus a hat.
That's 20 games of footy compared to one test...
I know what wins IMO...
Apparently the corporate boxes etc are selling for the same prices they did for the Ashes. Fair cough..
If CA want attendances to rise, look at the gate prices, catering prices and perhaps they would see the numbers come through

The novelty would wear off pretty quick too in the Day/Night test format...

There's another way to look at this

Putting on a test match for 5 days is very expensive I expect some countries (prob all) are relying on revenues from the likes of ODI and now 20-20 to subsidise the Tests. We can bitch all we like about the modified versions of the game but without them we wouldn't have our favourite format, Test cricket.

Fast forward 20 years what's to stop a country deciding to scrap the loss-making tests altogether?

So if Test match cricket itself can become more popular and better attended then arguably its long term future is more certain rather than threatened I would have thought.

My only question marks are the ball; making sure the transition from day to night is fair for all and how much sleep the players get after playing to 9pm every night. The concept itself I don't have a problem with it would be great to get home and watch the last session on TV under lights. Working people will also have a chance to get down there (apart from the die-hards who take up annual leave days but not everyone can or wants to do that).

Still got to fix those question marks tho before it has my full support. Anyways, listening to James Sutherland the concept sounds 10 years away at best so no need for panic stations just yet.

I don't think day/night Test cricket is seriously on the agenda with Cricket Australia at all.

I reckon that it was just a zany idea thrown out there by CA to create a talking that would take people's minds off the 6-week Test cricket hiatus that their poor scheduling created. The same goes for the Tait chucking suggestion. It was just a diversion with no substance to it.

What about batting in the arvo and then getting a bowl on a wicket with a nice dew on the top or for that matter keeping the ball dry in some more humid places?

leave test cricket alone !! this is how the game should be played as the ultimate mental and physical test

Tried it out last night under lights in my back yard, didn't matter what colour we painted the ball, couldn't pick it up properly under lights, stick this idea in the bin