Does the Coin Toss have a future?

[wahindiawah]

Funny isn't it? whoever bats first wins the game.I think its a bit unfair, if toss begins to play such a dominat role in the outcome of the matches, then onedayers will lose its charm.

[Edited on 8/16/02 by Neil Pickup]

 

[luckyeddie]

That's an interesting point - and one which seems to come to the fore quite a lot nowadays. It's not just ODI's (especially day-nighters) but test matches too.

Countries (and counties for that matter) produce pitches tailored to their players' strengths - or maybe it's just that players get used to playing 50% of their cricket under those conditions.

Anyway - a point was made a year or so ago on British TV where the toss is becoming so important that 'wouldn't it be a good idea if....the away team was given the choice of batting or bowling first'.

I like the idea.

 

[marc71178]

I disagree here Eddie.

Doing that would have a major affect on the game, as teams will then basically know whether they're batting or bowling first, and will be able to select a side accordingly.

With the toss of the coin, it makes the selection of a team for all conditions more important.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Right, Morocco Cup contributions in the other post.

This one is now about whether the Coin Toss has a future...

 

[masterblaster]

Totally agree with you marc, the coin toss adds more spice to the game.

 

[luckyeddie]

But.....

are we getting close to a situation where the match becomes superfluous, and a 5-day test is decided at 10.30 on a Thursday morning?

I suppose my point is more a dig at certain groundsmen really (although I think that the tracks at Lords and Trent Bridge were both tremendous cricket wickets).

You watch next Thursday - bright sunny morning at Headingley, 25 degrees, win the toss, field!!! I hope I'm wrong.

 

[marc71178]

But under your theory, India would bowl first on Thursday, and thus probably only play 1 spinner.

England will know they're batting first, and will pick a side accordingly (ie may decide to go with an extra batsman)

 

[luckyeddie]

History tends to back you up only where England have won the toss.

In the last 40 tests at Headingley, England have won the toss 14 times. Only twice did they field (and never won either).

However, England have lost the toss 26 times and been inserted only 7 times. Of those, England lost 4 times. Of the 19 where the opposition batted, England won 11 and only lost 5.

It strikes me therefore that England ought to lose the toss. The Indians would then bat and field 2 spinners.

 

[Anoop]

Allowin the away team to decide is worse than coin toss.

are we getting close to a situation where the match becomes superfluous, and a 5-day test is decided at 10.30 on a Thursday morning?

If you allow the away to decide, then the match (according to the above theory) is over when the fixture is published..

I think coin toss is the best way to go. There aren't many options anyway.

 

[Kimbo]

yeah... gotta have a coin toss. its just part of the game.

 

[marc71178]

For this series I don't think it has a great bearing on who wins anyway, because one side is clearly a much better side than the other in the prevailing conditions.

 

[luckyeddie]

I think you've all missed the point - it's that groundsmen (under instructions) set up the pitch to favour one team. There was a match in England a few years ago where the middle of the wicket was left totally green so there would be no breakup over 5 days and the ends were shaved of all grass (or was it the other way around? My senility has kicked in again). The idea was to negate the opposition, as opposed to producing a fair cricket wicket.

The first time I heard anyone advocating the away team having the choice of first knock or fielding was a few years ago (I think that it was Boyks who said it). It was when we were having a run of test matches finishing inside 3 days.

Now there's this stupid 'world league table' (which so many people take so seriously but I think is a lot of nonsense), I can see more and more pressure being put on groundsmen in the future to 'help our boys'.

I hope I'm wrong.

On the bright side, though, if all the wickets are of the standard we have had this summer for the tests against Sri Lanka and India, there's no problem. Although Lords was a little too batsman-friendly in the first test against Sri Lanka, by and large they have been exceptional.

 

[lord_of_darkness]

i agree with master .. coin toss adds fun to the game , anway how are you to decide who bats first anyway ??

And the team not batting first must try and make it a challenge to bowl really well on a batsmens track and defend the total if its a huge one , thats where the captains mind comes in

 

[Neil Pickup]

And the team not batting first must try and make it a challenge to bowl really well on a batsmens track and defend the total if its a huge one , thats where the captains mind comes in

Woah, time to get a screenshot and frame it, Reuben has actually made a very good point.

Even if it's gramatically dodgy..

 

[Paid The Umpire]

Only poor teams complain about the toss.

Highly skilled teams, Australia & India (I know, not to the same extent), don't need it. The will beat the teams with or without the toss going their way.

 

[Neil Pickup]

India?!

 

[Gotchya]

Guyz, Agreed that due to the nature of the pitches the side batting first may have an advantage on the other BUT again at the toss of the coin the advantage could go either way.

Try as you may, you will never be able to find a fairer way.

And i totally agree that the toss makes it far more interesting: consider England preparing a dead pitch that doesn't give anything to Glenn Mcgrath. Now due to the toss here, England 'may' never get a chance in the entire series to bat first and post something big!

Only poor teams complain about the toss."

Exactly. Good teams never plan their games on a 50% chance, succeding in the face of adversity is I suppose the ultimate challenge for any team!

[Edited on 8/20/02 by Gotchya]

 

[Paid The Umpire]

This is scary!

Someone agreed with me...

SO WRONG!

 

[Gotchya]

Forgot to add this though India is not a skilled team at all, they may be talented but they definitely donot yet posess the skills to down top sides especially if they lose the toss

Let alone be compared to Australia!!

Now that is scary

 

[Paid The Umpire]

I know this, but, I always abuse INDIA. So I thought I might be nice to them.

Tried...