Test cricket

[Burgey]

I'm not suggesting they shouldn't have put it elsewhere. They should probably have also played it in, you know, the cricket season, but there was filthy lucre to be made elsewhere for the players. Anyone who follows and posts in the IPL thread should be taking responsibility for this. It's all your fault.

 

[_Ed_]

Every night before going to sleep, I check scores on Cricinfo. First thing after I wake up, I check scores on Cricinfo. Just ruined the excitement the last few days..and I was sooo waiting for Kane's masterclass on Day 3

Fixed.

Not that we'll ever know now.

 

[Black_Warrior]

I'm fine either way. Steyn vs Kane

 

[Jono]

If the IPL didn't take up two months of the year the India-WI series could have taken place then.

The fact Tests are played to fit in around a joke domestic hit and giggle tournament is the great farce here, though o agree the bad light playing condition and the ability of one side to refuse to use lights and DRS when they're available is ridiculous.

Poor state of grounds isn't often a factor afaik. Durban is a unique set of circumstances where the outfield has just been relaid, and tbph I don't know that WI have the cabbage to throw a lot of dough at state of the art drainage systems at all their grounds.

But that's why test cricket today is a joke. I understand the money issue but you're just stating facts, but its the facts that make it crap right now. Its just randomly based on what the home country can afford / agrees to (in the case of DRS). Nothing is uniform or centralised, there is no consistent system.

$50k isn't that much for the super sopper or whateverr and even so, if Lanka can afford to cover the whole ground WI can. This is an international test match being aired all over the world.

Blaming the IPL for this is odd because the test wasn't "rained out" per se, it was mainly a wet field. Now obviously the scheduling is a massive issue in test cricket but not being able to dry your grass is beyond embarrassing.

 

[Prince EWS]

Schedule the tests properly ie not in wet season.

I agree with your overall point, but it's the dry season in Durban. It just rained anyway.

 

[Zinzan]

Depending on how recently the Durban turf was relaid, they may not be able to use a super sopper on it

Not sure if you're just trolling here or seriously defending CSA for this fiasco. Assuming it's the former.

 

[Burgey]

I'll dry your grass, ****.

Look, it's going to sound bloody horrible to say this, but you're playing cricket in very small, very poor countries when it comes to the WI. Marry that with a dysfunctional organisation(s) and you have a recipe for a shambles (just like Richmond Football Club). What do you want to do, limit the game to countries which can only afford to put up the best facilities and equipment? If that's the case, India would have made its test debut in about 1980,SL in about 2000, Pakistan about 2001 and NZ would be hoping to field a side in 2020. Yeah it's embarrassing to lose so much time due to **** outfields, but it rarely happens.

As for DRS, the ICC should just stump up for a consistent form of it wherever the series is being played. Even in India, heaven forbid. They should also mandate that if you have floodlights you use them. None of this "Team X said they wouldn't play under lights/ under DRS". **** off and don't paly at all then, and forfeit any ranking points.

 

[Burgey]

Not sure if you're just trolling here or seriously defending CSA for this fiasco. Assuming it's the former.

Well, funnily enough mate, if you re-lay turf you actually can't use the same maintenance methods on it as you can an established outfield. Try it. Re-lay the turf on your front lawn then go out and try to mow the bastard a couple of weeks later or use any sort of heavy equipment on it. It doesn't work.

I'm not defending CSA, I really don't give a ****. I do, however, find it amusing the NZ fans are so cut up about this when they seriously were going to cop the mother of all hidings if play had got underway on day three.

 

[Zinzan]

You implied in this post in the series thread that ** happens, and it rains & it's winter, missing the point that it's the ****-house preparation, planning & choice of venue that most are taking issue with, not the rain itself.

What a ridiculous comment. If you get rain like that on top of earlier rain then it's going to effect any ground. And as has been noted, it's winter ffs.

 

[Jono]

I agree with your overall point, but it's the dry season in Durban. It just rained anyway.

I was referring to WI test, isn't that the poorly scheduled one?

Also: climate change?

 

[Jono]

Well, funnily enough mate, if you re-lay turf you actually can't use the same maintenance methods on it as you can an established outfield. Try it. Re-lay the turf on your front lawn then go out and try to mow the bastard a couple of weeks later or use any sort of heavy equipment on it. It doesn't work.

Wouldn't you then not schedule a test there until it can work?

Like there are a gazillion alternatives here which could have seen these two tests get more play. Maybe they end up a draw anyway due to lost time when it is raining, but not no play when the sun is shining.

 

[Burgey]

Well it does effect the ground mate. Rain does that. It effects it more so when you've got newly laid turf. That's not mutually exclusive from holding the test elsewhere. Play the **** indoors if you don't want weather to be a factor.

Smile, think happy thoughts.

 

[Burgey]

Wouldn't you then not schedule a test there until it can work?

Like there are a gazillion alternatives here which could have seen these two tests get more play. Maybe they end up a draw anyway due to lost time when it is raining, but not no play when the sun is shining.

I dunno about in the Windies mate. You're dealing with separate countries losing out on rostered tests. They'd all crack the ****s I imagine, with the way the board is set up over there ATM.

 

[Jono]

Yeah you're probably right, hence test cricket is being run like a joke, no?

I mean all you're doing is explaining to me why this has happened. I understand why it has. But it doesn't make it any less of an embarrassment.

 

[Zinzan]

Well it does effect the ground mate. Rain does that. It effects it more so when you've got newly laid turf. That's not mutually exclusive from holding the test elsewhere. Play the **** indoors if you don't want weather to be a factor.

Smile, think happy thoughts.

Bingo. Think you're getting it now. So perhaps when staging rare Test matches in August; 1) Schedule them in the venues least likely to rain & 2) & most importantly.... Don't schedule it at a ground with newly laid turf in which one night of heavy rain makes it unplayable for 3 days following.

 

[Burgey]

No, don't have them in August is my point. **** the IPL off. August is the dry season in Durban, isn't it?

Look, at the end of the day, losing such a huge amount of time because the grounds are wet is a ****ing infinitesimally small deal for test cricket. It hardly ever happens. The fact it's happened twice simultaneously is a very unhappy coincidence, I grant you. Jono is only upset about it because his side had a shot at being number one and it cost them. Otherwise he wouldn't care. He's more interested in the Hyderabad Ninja Turtles or whatever the **** they're called.

Why NZ fans are so upset is more of a mystery. It's past your bed times when this test would have been played anyway, and as I said, it saved you a rodgering of epic proportions. Be happy.

 

[hendrix]

I do, however, find it amusing the NZ fans are so cut up about this when they seriously were going to cop the mother of all hidings if play had got underway on day three.

Why NZ fans are so upset is more of a mystery. It's past your bed times when this test would have been played anyway, and as I said, it saved you a rodgering of epic proportions. Be happy.

Look I know at this point you're just trolling but watching Steyn and Philander bowl against Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor on a pitch that's doing a bit is about as high quality as test cricket can get. It doesn't matter which way it goes. It's superb viewing and why we like test cricket.

And re: the IPL. I don't have a problem with scheduling tests in August in SA - it is the dry season as already mentioned. The point is, make sure the facilities can handle some things like overnight rain. If they can't, move it to a different venue.

The ground was re-laid a month ago. That is the problem here. That's really, really poor that noone from CSA realised that it could ruin a 2 test series.

 

[DriveClub]

What's grinding burgers gears, seems feisty today

 

[Jono]

Look, at the end of the day, losing such a huge amount of time because the grounds are wet is a ****ing infinitesimally small deal for test cricket. It hardly ever happens. The fact it's happened twice simultaneously is a very unhappy coincidence, I grant you. Jono is only upset about it because his side had a shot at being number one and it cost them. Otherwise he wouldn't care. He's more interested in the Hyderabad Ninja Turtles or whatever the **** they're called.

I know you're trolling, but I genuinely don't care. The India game was drawn after day 2 most likely and I wasn't too bothered But to have no play for the rest of the test when its sunny? Come on.

 

[Jono]

What's grinding burgers gears, seems feisty today

Yeah he's taken a stupid issue to decide to play devil's advocate for.

The last week has been a serious stain on test cricket