Worst ever Test match you have seen

[Magrat Garlick]

My choice would be IND/WI, Antigua, 2004. The draw was so predictable, that David Shepherd called off the match in the middle of the fourth day! What a farce!

Yes, it would have been a farce, given that the incident never actually happened...

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

My choice would be IND/WI, Antigua, 2004. The draw was so predictable, that David Shepherd called off the match in the middle of the fourth day! What a farce!

Uh, what? If it's the game I'm thinking of, it went into the fifth day and Chanderpaul laboured on a flat pitch against substandard bowling for a boring hundred whilst Jacobs entertained the home crowd with a much better ton.

AFAIK an umpire has no right to call off a match before the final stages of the fifth day.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I do, I'd rather see consistent wickets, than consistent pounding of the bowling.

I definitely agree with that. I'd prefer to see Team A beat team B with a scoreline of 150 and 150 v 150 and 149 than 600 v 150 and 150. I thoroughly enjoyed the 4th Test between India and Australia, and not just because Australia was knocked over like dominoes.

 

[Langeveldt]

Yes, it would have been a farce, given that the incident never actually happened...

Haha, yeah I was confused.. Lol...

 

[Slow Love™]

I don't mind bowling domination. It often makes for exciting matches and there are few sights more tittilating then ball swinging

Speak for yourself.

I'm not sure about worst test I've ever seen, although the first test Australia v Sri Lanka back in '96 was a real snorefest, with SL being bowled out for 250 and the Australians grinding out 600 odd and winning by more than an innings. Come to think of it, that's one of the worst home series I've ever had to sit through.

 

[Simon]

Speak for yourself.

I'm not sure about worst test I've ever seen, although the first test Australia v Sri Lanka back in '96 was a real snorefest, with SL being bowled out for 250 and the Australians grinding out 600 odd and winning by more than an innings. Come to think of it, that's one of the worst home series I've ever had to sit through.

Australia only lost a handful of wickets in that whole series, now that was a bit of a farce!

 

[Mister Wright]

I definitely agree with that. I'd prefer to see Team A beat team B with a scoreline of 150 and 150 v 150 and 149 than 600 v 150 and 150. I thoroughly enjoyed the 4th Test between India and Australia, and not just because Australia was knocked over like dominoes.

I wouldn't say that was a match blueprint that I would want replicated all that ofen, once every now and then is great. What I prefer is to see both teams in the first innings score something between 350-375, then the 2nd innings be around teh 200-250 mark. If it were up to me, I would love to see a test finish around lunch a bit after on the first day, with perhaps 4 or 5 wickets and about 50- 70 runs needed to win. That would be a far better spectacle for the spectators and I'm sure the players would enjoy that much more.

 

[Craig]

That series rocked

Personally it bored me. However, I did see the best caught & bowled I have seen in that series by Ashley Giles (I think in Lahore or in Karachi). No matter what I have said of the guy, he is great off his own bowling.

 

[Beleg]

That series rocked

I can't quite fathom why you thought that series rocked? I could understand If you meant the third test. But the other two were just run of the mill run-fests that bored even Waugh to tears.

 

[Jono]

People actually mentioned the Sydney test, India vs. Australia?

Wow! I thoroughly enjoyed that test, and yes I realise it seems like bias because Tendulkar and Laxman smashed Australia, and Bret Lee got a pounding plus had wickets on no balls and edges dropped, but that game did have some other top stuff to. Kumble's galliant bowling, taking more wickets than all the Australian bowlers combined, Katich's brilliant knock in both innings (particularly the first), Langer's ton despite all the pressure of him being Agarkar's bunny, the emergence of Pathan with his two ripsnortingly awesome deliveries to remove Waugh and than Gilly and Steve Waugh trying to get to 100 in his last match.

And how can I forget Bret Lee doing the "lawnmower" or whatever when India are like 6-650. Utter class. :P

In all seriousness I thoroughly enjoyed that match.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Pardon the dig.

4th & 5th tests of our current tour to the Windies making strong cases for me. The cricket has been as turgid as the pitches and the quality, bowling especially, has been excremental.

It isn't sour grapes, by the way. The first test we actually lost had infinitely more to recommend it.

 

[Uppercut]

Pardon the dig.

4th & 5th tests of our current tour to the Windies making strong cases for me. The cricket has been as turgid as the pitches and the quality, bowling especially, has been excremental.

It isn't sour grapes, by the way. The first test we actually lost had infinitely more to recommend it.

The 4th is a definite contender. This one, while bad, was a decent-ish contest on day 3 at least.

The first test in Pakistan there was just as bad.

 

[Langeveldt]

South Africa vs England at Durban 1998/99 when Kirsten hit 275 and Hussain bowled for the only time in Tests.

haha that was one of my favourite.. Loved it when Butcher got Kirsten out for one run less than the South African record, and he went "Oh ****, oops"

 

[Langeveldt]

Zimbabwe v South Africa in Cape Town, think it was 2005.. Seem to remember Kallis scoring more in ten overs than the entire Zimbabwean order put together

 

[Richard]

We're talking about games that deserved Test status.

Anyway, guess I missed this thread during my the second of my absences of '04. But there are a good few candidates.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Take your pick from most of the 5 drawn tests between India & England in the 1981/82 series. The run rate and over rate were both dire. The thought of India sending down about 12 overs an hour to Boycott & Tavare scoring at 2-an-over still gives me the shivers.

Agreed. I didn't see any of it but it certainly made for tedious listening on the radio.

One of the most boring Tests in this Country was against Pakistan at the Oval in 1974. Pakistan made 600 in two days and England made 545 in over two days including a dreadful century by Keith Fletcher that at the time was the slowest ever.

 

[popepouri]

England/South Africa Centurion 2000.

That test makes me angry and sad.

 

[SJS]

THere have been quite a few pointless Test matches and to me the worst matches are the pointless ones. The one between England and West Indies recently at Bridgetown comes to mind as does the one between Pakistan and Sri Lanka which ended the day before the one at Bridgetown started. I doubt if there were ten consecutive days of such terrible cricket in the game before.

For me one of the worst games has to be this one between Sri Lanka and India

 

[CricketSchool]

I remember that

Australia v West Indies at the 'Gabba, I actually paid good money to see that game. It lasted a little under 7 sessions. If it wasn't for Chanderpaul's superb 63* (I think that was his score) I would have punched somebody. Lara was dreadful, and that's who I wanted to see bat.

i had 3 days off from work and thought i watch some nice cricket ...and was bitterly disapointed

 

[inbox24]

Probably this current test between England and the Windies. There's nothing worse than a batfest between two equally mediocre teams.