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4 Day Tests The Way To Go

kykweer.proteas

International Debutant
Why do people keep bringing up australia? Problem is the attendances in the WI, Bangla, Sri Lanka, South Africa etc

Test cricket is not growing and in the end it will dwindle and die.

The ICC (big 3) still need to try and boost popularity around the world. No business or industry will ever survive if they just sit back and watch it stall.
 

Camo999

State 12th Man
I cannot give you day-by-day stats because, A/ Wisden does not provide them, B/ fifth days and sometimes fourth days do not always happen, but I can give you the grand figures from 2013/14 Ashes,

Gabba: 122, 910
Adelaide: 153, 530
WACCA: 83, 760
MCG: 271, 865
SCG: 131, 713.

763, 778 saw The Ashes in 2013-4.

How would chopping the fifth day off improve the above figure?
I'm thinking you probably wouldn't change for the Ashes but 4 days might be a handy option to have for most of the midweek matches in seemingly empty grounds or most matches involving Ireland, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan or lower drawing match ups. 4 days x 100 overs or something similar.
 

Red

The normal awards that everyone else has
Why do people keep bringing up australia? Problem is the attendances in the WI, Bangla, Sri Lanka, South Africa etc

Test cricket is not growing and in the end it will dwindle and die.

The ICC (big 3) still need to try and boost popularity around the world. No business or industry will ever survive if they just sit back and watch it stall.
Test cricket has always been a game more suited to the affluent and sadly I don't think that'll change.

People keep bringing up Australia because they are using strategies to strengthen the game that are actually working.

The issues in poorer countries won't be resolved easily, especially when the talented players can easily pursue the 20/20 mercenary coin, rather than playing tests for a pittance. Sadly.
 

S.Kennedy

International Vice-Captain
Interesting thread - as a traditionalist at heart my knee jerk reaction is to rail against any shortening of Tests, but there is no doubt that the game has changed a lot over the years I’ve watched it - back when I first took an interest it wasn’t unusual to get five full days play and still end up with a draw - now the expectation is that there will be a result in a Test match and the games are played in a much more positive way than they were in the 60s and 70s and few sides now play for a draw unless they are under the cosh in which case they are unlikely to get it - as a result absent intervention from the weather you almost always get a result these days.

But I am constantly disappointed by the lack of paying customers for many Tests, not least the turnouts in the recent India v England series, and have a real fear that the Boards will give up with them. I don’t know what the answer to that is but I rather doubt the problem is a lack of interest. I get the impression, like with the County Championship here, that despite the sparse attendances on the grounds for the longer formats millions still follow the Tests in India and want Tests to continue.
The Wankhede has never looked that full on a Test match since before the IPL. A glorious sight. Agreed about the rest of the venues: very disappointing. But with Kohli, unlike MS Dhoni, showing that he is every bit passionate for this format, and with the mere aspect that India are winning (people tend to be more interested when you are winning), there is cause for optimism.
 

S.Kennedy

International Vice-Captain
Why do people keep bringing up australia? Problem is the attendances in the WI, Bangla, Sri Lanka, South Africa etc

Test cricket is not growing and in the end it will dwindle and die.

The ICC (big 3) still need to try and boost popularity around the world. No business or industry will ever survive if they just sit back and watch it stall.
I do not agree with the rest of your post but what I have highlighted was basically my point. The day five thing is a complete blind alleyway. As I have said, it is far more worrying that days 1 - 5 (England v Sri Lanka), i.e. the entire series, are watched by about 100 people, than that you are obtaining only 40-70% through the turnstiles of day 5 of an Ashes class or a South African series in England (despite days 1-4 being sellouts or near sellouts).

Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and (sad to say) Windies should be competing regularly for a right to play the bigger nations, for which they will have certainly improved and deserved it on merit. (I'm being a bit unfair on Sri Lanka in fairness who can pull off 'giant killing' and possibly New Zealand or Pakistan slip into this division, but for sake of argument....).

Whether obtaining that goal is through some sort of divisional/conference structure or merely wiser planning of the future tours calendar is completely open to debate, but the point still stands that the minnows should be playing each other more regularly and not being used as mere 'tour matches' for the rest of the test playing nations.
 
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S.Kennedy

International Vice-Captain
No I'm just saying that only a small % of test matches have those exciting 5th day finishes.
Fair point. I was choosing the extreme example, tests that are masterpieces. Generally though you can get great test matches and you can get decent test matches and you can get average tests, and dire - just like any sport really. If you love the sport, usually only but the poorest of matches will not at least pique your interest. You can certainly get average-decent tests entering a day five that do not aspire to the heights of the 'tied test' and I'm glad those exist.
 

kykweer.proteas

International Debutant
I do not agree with the rest of your post but what I have highlighted was basically my point. The day five thing is a complete blind alleyway. As I have said, it is far more worrying that days 1 - 5 (England v Sri Lanka), i.e. the entire series, are watched by about 100 people, than that you are obtaining only 40-70% through the turnstiles of day 5 of an Ashes class or a South African series in England (despite days 1-4 being sellouts or near sellouts).

Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and (sad to say) Windies should be competing regularly for a right to play the bigger nations, for which they will have certainly improved and deserved it on merit. (I'm been a bit unfair on Sri Lanka in fairness who can pull off 'giant killing' and possibly New Zealand or Pakistan slip into this division, but for sake of argument....).

Whether obtaining that goal is through some sort of divisional/conference structure or merely wiser planning of the future tours calendar is completely open to debate, but the point still stands that the minnows should be playing each other more regularly and not being used as mere 'tour matches' for the rest of the test playing nations.
Minnows can't afford to play only against each other. Every series outside playing the big 3 is pretty much at a loss.
 

S.Kennedy

International Vice-Captain
Minnows can't afford to play only against each other. Every series outside playing the big 3 is pretty much at a loss.
That is why they need more funding and support from the ICC. They would also be competing for a trophy or something and a big pot of prize money - that will certainly add context to what they are doing and help drum up gate receipts and viewing figures. Then the winner can move up to play the bigger nations. I'm just thinking aloud here without thinking of the structure of this but you see what I mean?

They certainly shouldn't be stripped of their test status like Zimbabwe.
 

kykweer.proteas

International Debutant
That is why they need more funding and support from the ICC. They would also be competing for a trophy or something and a big pot of prize money - that will certainly add context to what they are doing and help drum up gate receipts and viewing figures. Then the winner can move up to play the bigger nations. I'm just thinking aloud here without thinking of the structure of this but you see what I mean?

They certainly shouldn't be stripped of their test status like Zimbabwe.
Doesn't the big three handle all the finances now?
 

S.Kennedy

International Vice-Captain
Doesn't the big three handle all the finances now?
Well I don't agree with that. India rules the roost and bullies the other nations who rely on playing India for revenue. The BCCI essentially runs cricket. England and Oz sort of go along for the ride. England just used Bangladesh as a training session for India and it hysterically backfired.

But for those who think the ICC are growing less fond of Test cricket, consider this: the ICC are committed to expanding the Test playing nations as we speak. Ireland will probably be granted Test status (they now have a first class domestic competition). Afghanistan may follow. So you are possibly getting two more minnows whether you like it or not!
 

kykweer.proteas

International Debutant
Well I don't agree with that. India rules the roost and bullies the other nations who rely on playing India for revenue. The BCCI essentially runs cricket. England and Oz sort of go along for the ride. England just used Bangladesh as a training session for India and it hysterically backfired.

But for those who think the ICC are growing less fond of Test cricket, consider this: the ICC are committed to expanding the Test playing nations as we speak. Ireland will probably be granted Test status (they now have a first class domestic competition). Afghanistan may follow. So you are possibly getting two more minnows whether you like it or not!
Who will they play of they get granted test status?

Even south Africa had like 2 test series last year.
 

S.Kennedy

International Vice-Captain
Who will they play of they get granted test status?

Even south Africa had like 2 test series last year.
They will probably just follow what the other minnows will do and pick up the odd test. (Big) teams touring England will probably use Ireland as a two-Test dress rehearsal for England.

I could actually see a smallish test series between England and Ireland selling, on account of the proximity, rivalry and Irish expat community in England.

They could be - or could have been as these players are old - quite competitive if they maintain their internationals (Joyce and Porterfield) and pick up Aussies (etc) who cannot get into the Australian teams and suddenly discover they have an Irish grandparent!
 
I cannot give you day-by-day stats because, A/ Wisden does not provide them, B/ fifth days and sometimes fourth days do not always happen, but I can give you the grand figures from 2013/14 Ashes,

Gabba: 122, 910
Adelaide: 153, 530
WACCA: 83, 760
MCG: 271, 865
SCG: 131, 713.

763, 778 saw The Ashes in 2013-4.

How would chopping the fifth day off improve the above figure?

You can't give the day by day breakdown because you haven't looked hard enough/will be totally shown up as having no idea. It took me all of 2 minutes to find them but you can't? Classic!

They were not even close to a sell out. Back to the drawing board.
 

kykweer.proteas

International Debutant
They will probably just follow what the other minnows will do and pick up the odd test. (Big) teams touring England will probably use Ireland as a two-Test dress rehearsal for England.

I could actually see a smallish test series between England and Ireland selling, on account of the proximity, rivalry and Irish expat community in England.

They could be - or could have been as these players are old - quite competitive if they maintain their internationals (Joyce and Porterfield) and pick up Aussies (etc) who cannot get into the Australian teams and suddenly discover they have an Irish grandparent!
And triangular test series with Pakistan and Afghanistan in the UAE.
 

S.Kennedy

International Vice-Captain
You can't give the day by day breakdown because you haven't looked hard enough/will be totally shown up as having no idea. It took me all of 2 minutes to find them but you can't? Classic!

They were not even close to a sell out. Back to the drawing board.
Why are you persisting with this? You have not answered a single thing I said, about how four day Ashes matches will out self five day Ashes matches when the five day Ashes matches sell extremely well? Will I ever get an answer to this question. It is impossible! Even if you get 10% on a fifth day, you still would not possess that 10% if it was a four day test haha

You cannot accept the fact that Lord's and Oval are sell outs with absurd ticket prices

You cannot accept the fact that Headingley, Trent Bridge, Old Trafford and Edgbaston do extremely well.

You cannot accept any of the success of the five day Ashes.

Here is how successful the Ashes are? This proves it conclusively. Chester-le-Street, an inconvenient venue to get to, who traditionally picked up 'Zimbabwe in May' type scraps, made a resounding profit. No bigger proof of the Ashes success is needed, Chester-le-Street making a success of it (who normally couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery).
 

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