4 Day Tests The Way To Go

[Burgey]

I don't know that they are though. I could cop a four day test match, but what about if we just delete day three? So you play the first two days, then using the test match equivalent of Duckworth -Lewis, you fast forward a day into day four, completely leaving out the usually boring day three of the match. I think it's the way forward.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Additionally fifth days can be great for spectators. See a guaranteed victory for knock down price that will probably last no longer than a session. They're good days for kids, getting in on cut price tickets or even free, to be introduced to test cricket at a duration to hold their attention spans. It is also affordable for people who may have been priced out of the full price tickets, or couldn't obtain tickets, for days 1, 2, 3. The atmosphere is more relaxing, being able to select your seat, more akin to a county cricket match. There is a lot of joy to be had about a fifth day on a test match.

Further, it is not as if the attendances for fifth days are that bad. They are good at The Oval and Lord's, or even 'Oop North if it is The Ashes. The British love their Test cricket and the fifth day certainly has a place in that. The Sri Lanka Test on the 1st day at Chester-le-Street - I repeat the 1st day - was attended by 'one man and his dog' and Headingley was not much better so it is not as if fifth days are part of the problem per se, more the quality of opposition, awareness/interest of the sport (proliferation on television/competition with premiership football), ticket pricing.

For god's sake. The sport has been tampered and changed with. We've seen the introduction of gormless Twenty20 plastic cricket, pink ball night nonsense and all sorts of tinkering and stupidity. Keep one thing sacred in the greatest format of the sport: the epic nature of the five day test.

 

[straw man]

This will almost certainly result in bigger crowds and more revenue for the game.

This is the only actual point you've made. How will four-day tests result in bigger crowds and more revenue? I'm all ears.

 

[straw man]

I mean, you're always going to have 'the last day of the test' be potentially a partial day and potentially one-sided (or potentially an edge-of-seat contest), changing from a 5-day match to a 4-day match doesn't alter that at all. So again I see no benefit.

 

[Burgey]

Additionally fifth days can be great for spectators. See a guaranteed victory for knock down price that will probably last no longer than a session. They're good days for kids, getting in on cut price tickets or even free, to be introduced to test cricket at a duration to hold their attention spans. It is also affordable for people who may have been priced out of the full price tickets, or couldn't obtain tickets, for days 1, 2, 3. The atmosphere is more relaxing, being able to select your seat, more akin to a county cricket match. There is a lot of joy to be had about a fifth day on a test match.

Further, it is not as if the attendances for fifth days are that bad. They are good at The Oval and Lord's, or even 'Oop North if it is The Ashes. The British love their Test cricket and the fifth day certainly has a place in that. The Sri Lanka Test on the 1st day at Chester-le-Street - I repeat the 1st day - was attended by 'one man and his dog' and Headingley was not much better so it is not as if fifth days are part of the problem per se, more the quality of opposition, awareness/interest of the sport (proliferation on television/competition with premiership football), ticket pricing.

For god's sake. The sport has been tampered and changed with. We've seen the introduction of gormless Twenty20 plastic cricket, pink ball night nonsense and all sorts of tinkering and stupidity. Keep one thing sacred in the greatest format of the sport: the epic nature of the five day test.

TBF no one should use a SL tour as the baseline for comparisons with anything else in Test cricket.

 

[straw man]

I don't know that they are though. I could cop a four day test match, but what about if we just delete day three? So you play the first two days, then using the test match equivalent of Duckworth -Lewis, you fast forward a day into day four, completely leaving out the usually boring day three of the match. I think it's the way forward.

See this is a better idea, a fast-forward button. So if one team is dominating at 150/1 on a flat one then both captains can agree to a negotiated fast-forward, say 320/4, and we can skip out all that messy cricketing bit in between. They can do the negotiations live-streamed in an air-conditioned meeting room - it will be gripping. Hell, lawyers could even be involved.

It will make cricket more like backgammon. Everyone loves backgammon, right.

 

[S.Kennedy]

TBF no one should use a SL tour as the baseline for comparisons with anything else in Test cricket.

It should be the starting point if your issue is low attendances!!

The issue should be, not whether or not a venue is 60% full v (say) South Africa on a fifth day, but, whether or not a venue is 10% full v Sri Lanka on days one, two, three, four and five.

Switch Sri lanka with WI, Zimbabwe.

Fifth Days are not the problem, at least not in England.

 

[Fred Tetanus]

This is the only actual point you've made. How will four-day tests result in bigger crowds and more revenue? I'm all ears.

Do you even read other posts?

-No one goes to the 5th so take away the 5th day and you lose minimal attendance.
-People love the day night idea. Add an evening session to each day and you almost certainly attract a lot more additional attendees than you lose from taking away the 5th day.
-More people means more ticket revenue and more F&B revenue.

Pretty obvious I would have thought.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Do any of you even like test cricket? You are wanting to rip it apart root-and-branch!!

Probably a bunch of plastic T20 fans here.

 

[straw man]

Do you even read other posts?

-No one goes to the 5th so take away the 5th day and you lose minimal attendance.
-People love the day night idea. Add an evening session to each day and you almost certainly attract a lot more additional attendees than you lose from taking away the 5th day.
-More people means more ticket revenue and more F&B revenue.

Pretty obvious I would have thought.

- People don't go to the 5th day if it's looking like a non-contest. Exactly the same would apply for the 4th day in a 4-day test. You're also making getting a result less likely by reducing total overs in the match, which increases your chances of a non-contest on the final day.
- That's why day-night tests are a good idea. Tacking a night session onto a regular day is a step backwards from a regular day-night test. Makes it a marathon day for attendees and players alike, and it's hard to see the quality of cricket at the end of the day being the highest.
- I don't think you get more ticket sales, I think you quite likely get less, especially compared to a day-night test.

 

[Fred Tetanus]

Do any of you even like test cricket? You are wanting to rip it apart root-and-branch!!

Probably a bunch of plastic T20 fans here.

This is textbook backward thinking. Sad.

The reason we would like to see changes is actually the complete opposite - we love the game. It's dying though unfortunately and you'd have to have your head in the sand not to see it.

 

[S.Kennedy]

- People don't go to the 5th day if it's looking like a non-contest. Exactly the same would apply for the 4th day in a 4-day test. You're also making getting a result less likely by reducing total overs in the match, which increases your chances of a non-contest on the final day.
- That's why day-night tests are a good idea. Tacking a night session onto a regular day is a step backwards from a regular day-night test. Makes it a marathon day for attendees and players alike, and it's hard to see the quality of cricket at the end of the day being the highest.
- I don't think you get more ticket sales, I think you quite likely get less, especially compared to a day-night test.

People barely go to the 1st day of a test match if it is a minnow in a secondary English test venue!!

5th days are not the problem if the problem is attendances. They actually get good crowds for Ashes nationally and other test oppositions in London, and allow children and people priced out to see a few hours of test cricket.

 

[S.Kennedy]

This is textbook backward thinking. Sad.

The reason we would like to see changes is actually the complete opposite - we love the game. It's dying though unfortunately and you'd have to have your head in the sand not to see it.

Dying my arse. Lord's and Oval sell out despite £80 tickets and an Ashes will sell out countrywide. Australia has just saw a record Test crowd v Pakistan for a test match except the poms. The crowds are currently excellent at the match playing at the SCG in a Dead Rubber normal day test match - c. 40,000 yesterday. The South African/Sri Lanka test match looked brimming. The NZ/Pakistan series had decent crowds. Put on your television.

The fact they can sell £80 plus tickets for a five test/five day Ashes and sell out shows the format is alive and well.

Test cricket does not need to change anything. The night test is good on an 'one per series' model.

 

[TheJediBrah]

This is textbook backward thinking. Sad.

The reason we would like to see changes is actually the complete opposite - we love the game. It's dying though unfortunately and you'd have to have your head in the sand not to see it.

lol you're not going to convert too many people with your attitude and personal attacks

 

[S.Kennedy]

Meanwhile, Dead Rubber v a woeful Pakistan, Oz in complete control, the crowds begin to fill the SCG up!

 

[Burgey]

Meanwhile, Dead Rubber v a woeful Pakistan, Oz in complete control, the crowds begin to fill the SCG up!

Timing of tests is also important. Having the two oldest and most traditional venues in Australia get tests in the summer holidays boosts the attendances dramatically. Can't always do it with other venues around the world though.

 

[Fred Tetanus]

- People don't go to the 5th day if it's looking like a non-contest. Exactly the same would apply for the 4th day in a 4-day test. You're also making getting a result less likely by reducing total overs in the match, which increases your chances of a non-contest on the final day.
- That's why day-night tests are a good idea. Tacking a night session onto a regular day is a step backwards from a regular day-night test. Makes it a marathon day for attendees and players alike, and it's hard to see the quality of cricket at the end of the day being the highest.
- I don't think you get more ticket sales, I think you quite likely get less, especially compared to a day-night test.

Again, do you even read posts?

The marathon day for spectators issue has already been addressed by offering half day tickets. Oh and you do realise people can leave any time they want to right? It's not compulsory to attend from the start of play to the end.

 

[Fred Tetanus]

LOL @ people using the Ashes as "proof" test cricket isnt dying. The ashes are the pinnacle of the format. It's like saying badminton is popular with spectators because it sells out at the Olympics every 4 years. Embarrassing stuff!

 

[S.Kennedy]

Timing of tests is also important. Having the two oldest and most traditional venues in Australia get tests in the summer holidays boosts the attendances dramatically. Can't always do it with other venues around the world though.

Well then, that is when you schedule them!

Anything July - August is going to do reasonably well in England if it is one of the old Test venues - especially of the gods are on our side. That is five/seven tests of the English Test calendar. It is when the Tests are in freezing May, reinforced by minnow opposition, reinforced by being in a secondary test venue, that there is the ''one old man and his dog'' syndrome. That is two/seven.

 

[S.Kennedy]

LOL @ people using the Ashes as "proof" test cricket is dying. The ashes are the pinnacle of the format. It's like saying badminton is popular with spectators because it sells out at the Olympics every 4 years. Embarrassing stuff!

I take it your are not ''LOL'' are people using a Pakistan dead rubber as a proof.

Besides, you have just defeated your own argument. Assuming four days would have to be uniform, the Ashes would be four day also. Bang. You've just lost five days in England and five days in Oz that sell extremely well and are (both) played out every two years. You've just removed spectators and money in those two countries. Well done.