Adelaide to host controversial first day-night Test

[Xuhaib]

AUSTRALIA will almost certainly host cricket's first day-night Test match next summer.
Already being hailed as one of cricket's biggest steps in 30 years, Australia and Pakistan will become the first teams to clash in a Test match under lights.

Cricket Australia has chosen the Adelaide Oval match next November and will seek International Cricket Council approval.

While CA is publicly reserved about releasing the target date, privately it has commissioned the CSIRO to step up work on developing a suitable ball for the day-night Tests.

The Test is proposed to start at about 2pm, following the timeslot of regular one-day internationals played under lights.

National broadcaster Channel 9 has also thrown its support behind the concept, which will be staged in one of the last weeks of the 2009 television ratings year.

Should Test cricket be played under lights? Leave a comment and have your say.

CA chief executive James Sutherland said yesterday that night Tests were inevitable.

"Test cricket is our premium form of the game, so why wouldn't you play it at a time when most people can watch it?" he said.

"There's no doubt it will happen - people can go after work and it's a cooler time of the day for spectators and fans.

"Look at the Olympics, the NRL and the AFL and how much of it is played at night these days because it's a more convenient time for viewers and fans."

Finding a suitable ball is the last sticking point, but CA is committed to supplying the solution by November.

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,24847844-5005401,00.html

 

[silentstriker]

Awesome news! Fantastic to hear.

 

[Xuhaib]

Awesome news! Fantastic to hear.

Nah not really

Only if it is with red balls the white balls loose their potency early

 

[silentstriker]

You have to move forward. I don't know if this will get some crowds back into the subcontinent Test matches, but I hope so. You can't just bitch about 20/20, you have to do something to make Tests easier to access and compelling. This does that. Yea, there may be some initial issues with the ball, but it'll be sorted out.

 

[Uppercut]

Hope so, but you have to wonder if they couldn't make it last more than 34 overs for ODIs what are they going to do differently to make it work for tests?

 

[Jamee999]

Lame. That's gonna mean they'll start at like 3am UK time

 

[Barney Rubble]

Awesome news! Fantastic to hear.

You have to move forward. I don't know if this will get some crowds back into the subcontinent Test matches, but I hope so. You can't just bitch about 20/20, you have to do something to make Tests easier to access and compelling. This does that. Yea, there may be some initial issues with the ball, but it'll be sorted out.

Completely agree. Test cricket cannot afford to stay where it is if it's going to survive. The whole reason it's "dying out" is because of the traditionalists who are stuck in such a time-warp that they fear the slightest change.

 

[Jamee999]

For non-Jamee sleeping reasons, I like it

 

[duffer]

This is great, will rate through the roof as well down here. You'll see pretty much the whole office with cricinfo or ABC radio on at work when a Test is on and being able to get home and watch a session or more after a whole day's work will be awesome. Great stuff by Cricket Australia.

 

[pup11]

Fantastic news this and great for the game of test cricket and kudos to CA for coming up with this and i hope now that finding the right ball doesn't prove to be much of a problem, so we can get going with this brilliant initiative.

 

[GIMH]

We could do them in England in June without worrying about using lights tbh, good plan anyway

 

[pasag]

Great news, now they just have to dig up the pitch...

Called it as well

 

[Nate]

That's excellent.

 

[susudear]

I think it will go down like the Indoor stadium concept

Sorry, but I have to play the devil's advocate here. A few reasons why I think it is not feasible right now.

1. Ball

White ball is not lasting even 30 overs in the ODIs. How to expect it to last 80 overs then? Of course the solution will be to use many white balls during the day/night. But how exactly that qualifies for test cricket? Color of the ball is a big problem to be addressed before any of such endeavours happen.

2. Dew

Some grounds. especially in the subcontinent are prone to dew-accumulation on the grass as early as 5 PM during the winter, which is season here. In ODIs itself, it has been a big problem, as it effectively rules spin out in the second innings. I am not sure the techniques adopted this have been successful.

3. Subcontinent crowds

Those who think that day/night test matches will attract crowds in the subcontinent better check their heads out. The problem is not with the time, but with the mentality of the spectators. 20-20s and ODI daynighters (pedantic - 20-20s are always nighters) have attracted sizeable crowds because of the format. In any case, past experience suggests that ODIs have had a good crowd even when they are day-games.

4. Inherent problem of test matches

Rather an extension of Point No.3, test crowd admittedly does not appeal to everyone. The target of day-nighters are the jobbing crowds, who come home in the evening and want to catch up with some entertaining cricket. For all the Sehwags and Gambhirs, test cricket is yet to become "entertaining" so as to force the worn-out person out of his comfy sofa to the stadium, just to watch the Dravids/Chanderpauls blocking it out for their lives.

5. Ground facilites to be addressed first

Add to that lack of standardisation of the grounds. A sizeable portion of the 20-20 and ODI crowds attend the matches "despite" the terrible ground facilities. With the increased incomes and affordability of pay sports channels, nobody with a bit of hello,howdy in their cranium could be arsed to trek to the stadium to catch 7.5 hours of test cricket.

Concluding

This idea will remain one, a good idea but ahead of it's time. The day-nighter test will have it's takers on Australian and possibly English grounds. However, like the Telstra dome ODIs, it's prevalence would be limited to just those countries. This would require a mini-miracle to move beyond of the beta stage.

 

[GotSpin]

I can see day-night test matches becoming extremely popular. Not only would more people be able to go the match on a weekday, but I'm positive TV ratings would sky rocket. I'm also a fan because it means i can watch test cricket at night with beers rather than during the day

 

[andyc]

Sorry, but I have to play the devil's advocate here. A few reasons why I think it is not feasible right now.

1. Ball

White ball is not lasting even 30 overs in the ODIs. How to expect it to last 80 overs then? Of course the solution will be to use many white balls during the day/night. But how exactly that qualifies for test cricket? Color of the ball is a big problem to be addressed before any of such endeavours happen.

2. Dew

Some grounds. especially in the subcontinent are prone to dew-accumulation on the grass as early as 5 PM during the winter, which is season here. In ODIs itself, it has been a big problem, as it effectively rules spin out in the second innings. I am not sure the techniques adopted this have been successful.

3. Subcontinent crowds

Those who think that day/night test matches will attract crowds in the subcontinent better check their heads out. The problem is not with the time, but with the mentality of the spectators. 20-20s and ODI daynighters (pedantic - 20-20s are always nighters) have attracted sizeable crowds because of the format. In any case, past experience suggests that ODIs have had a good crowd even when they are day-games.

4. Inherent problem of test matches

Rather an extension of Point No.3, test crowd admittedly does not appeal to everyone. The target of day-nighters are the jobbing crowds, who come home in the evening and want to catch up with some entertaining cricket. For all the Sehwags and Gambhirs, test cricket is yet to become "entertaining" so as to force the worn-out person out of his comfy sofa to the stadium, just to watch the Dravids/Chanderpauls blocking it out for their lives.

5. Ground facilites to be addressed first

Add to that lack of standardisation of the grounds. A sizeable portion of the 20-20 and ODI crowds attend the matches "despite" the terrible ground facilities. With the increased incomes and affordability of pay sports channels, nobody with a bit of hello,howdy in their cranium could be arsed to trek to the stadium to catch 7.5 hours of test cricket.

Concluding

This idea will remain one, a good idea but ahead of it's time. The day-nighter test will have it's takers on Australian and possibly English grounds. However, like the Telstra dome ODIs, it's prevalence would be limited to just those countries. This would require a mini-miracle to move beyond of the beta stage.

AFAIK, games are scheduled by the home country according to their facilities and capabilities. Just because Australia or England have day-night tests doesn't mean every other nation has to as well.

 

[BoyBrumby]

The idea doesn't make me want to throw my hands up with a cry of "O tempora! O mores!" (quite), but there does seem to be a bit of cart before the horses about the announcement for mine. The ball not being up to it the principle issue. Few day/night first-class games as trials might be nice. There's a fair chance it'll all go horribly **** up.

 

[susudear]

Exactly

AFAIK, games are scheduled by the home country according to their facilities and capabilities. Just because Australia or England have day-night tests doesn't mean every other nation has to as well.

That's the point. I said the test will be carried out, but how much of an impact it can have on the economics and fan attendance overall will have to be seen.

Also the longetivity of an idea that is not acceptable world-wide, especially in the most lucrative markets, is debatable. And I don't think teams from the subcontinent would be looking forward to playing day-night tests in Australia or England, citing lack of preparation. In short, such tests will be limited to Ashes and maybe some Trans-tasman games.

 

[G.I.Joe]

If it means I don't have to wake up at an unearthly hour to watch some Australian or Kiwi cricket, I'm all for it.

 

[nightprowler10]

Bleh...