Red and Pink Ball Tests

[TheJediBrah]

I haven't looked into the details of this at all but it seems really dumb on the face of it. Changing balls at any time can significantly change a match even if it's supposed to be the same colour/age of ball (see 5th Ashes Test 2023). Can't see this do anything but ruin games

Edit: ok now I read the thread I clearly misunderstood lol. Tbh I don't actually see a problem with it if it's for the whole game and not being changed

 

[honestbharani]

I haven't looked into the details of this at all but it seems really dumb on the face of it. Changing balls at any time can significantly change a match even if it's supposed to be the same colour/age of ball (see 5th Ashes Test 2023). Can't see this do anything but ruin games

 

[Adders]

I haven't looked into the details of this at all but it seems really dumb on the face of it. Changing balls at any time can significantly change a match even if it's supposed to be the same colour/age of ball (see 5th Ashes Test 2023). Can't see this do anything but ruin games

They wont be doing that...........if it ever happens they'll be using pink balls for the entire test, not just switching over when the lights come on.

I can certainly see the sense in it but I'm not sold on the quality of the pink balls yet. Think they've still got a way to go with them.

 

[TheJediBrah]

They wont be doing that...........if it ever happens they'll be using pink balls for the entire test, not just switching over when the lights come on.

I can certainly see the sense in it but I'm not sold on the quality of the pink balls yet. Think they've still got a way to go with them.

Hasn't been an issue here in Aus, they've made games better in a lot of ways. But they go out of their way to protect the balls with the surfaces and jury's out how they hold up on more abrasive surfaces

 

[Hungry Llama]

Seeing the weather forcast for lords, this surely is the sort of test the ICC want to use the red ball. but whatever the ball colour, they cant play in the rain, or can they?

 

[Molehill]

There will never be a need for a pink ball in England as there is so much daylight. It just suits those who get to practice with it a lot.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Bro England is one of the worst places for bad light cutting Test days short

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

When I think of England I think of sunny days.

 

[Starfighter]

Hasn't been an issue here in Aus, they've made games better in a lot of ways.

I don't really agree. The ball still goes very soft as it gets older, but because of the way it wears it doesn't grip properly for spinners or reverse (not that there's been many reverse-friendly pitches here recently). If it behaved more normally then less grass could be left on the pitches.

 

[Adders]

Bro England is one of the worst places for bad light cutting Test days short

Happening way to often for my liking but agree with Brah here. Not sure if Eng is one of the worst but we certainly have our fair share of time lost to bad light. Just because the sun doesn't set till 10pm in the summer doesn't mean it cant (and does) get completely obliterated by cloud cover in the afternoon/early evening.

 

[Adders]

The laws and the umpires just need to be less rigid and more flexible with when its good to play and when its not. Plenty of time off the ground has been nonsensical and lacking in any common sense at all.

And when we do loose time to weather make it up over the 5 days ffs. I mean why the hell cant play start early in Eng? We are we limited in making up overs at the end of the day......and thats only by 30 mins isn't it?

 

[Molehill]

Yeah, I've never understood why cricket doesn't start till 11am. It gets light at 4am in the Summer in England, not like we're going to see some early morning swing at 10am.

Bro England is one of the worst places for bad light cutting Test days short

My point was that we have so many daylight hours, we just need to use them better instead of a ball with a multiple personality disorder!

 

[Nas207]

Yeah, I've never understood why cricket doesn't start till 11am. It gets light at 4am in the Summer in England, not like we're going to see some early morning swing at 10am.



My point was that we have so many daylight hours, we just need to use them better instead of a ball with a multiple personality disorder!

There have been some experiments in the past with 10 or 1030 starts if I remember correctly. I believe it didn't work too well since almost the entire audience was unaware of the change and turned up late.

 

[Chin Music]

There have been some experiments in the past with 10 or 1030 starts if I remember correctly. I believe it didn't work too well since almost the entire audience was unaware of the change and turned up late.

It is a bit of an issue getting to English venues much earlier than 11. You still have the morning traffic to get through to get to the destination if you are driving and public transport is horrendous the vast majority of the time but even worse until about 10am. Then the price of the trains is extortionate before 10am.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Anecdotally opening the batting as early as 10am is rough and conditions change drastically with just an extra hour. It would often be a big advantage to win the toss and bowl with an early start

 

[Molehill]

Anecdotally opening the batting as early as 10am is rough and conditions change drastically with just an extra hour. It would often be a big advantage to win the toss and bowl with an early start

When they played the One Day Final at Lord's in September, the team winning the toss would invariably bowl first and win. But that was September, we're talking about Tests in June and July now. There is no difference to batting at 10am or 11am in those months.

 

[Molehill]

It is a bit of an issue getting to English venues much earlier than 11. You still have the morning traffic to get through to get to the destination if you are driving and public transport is horrendous the vast majority of the time but even worse until about 10am. Then the price of the trains is extortionate before 10am.

I agree about the cost of peak time travel, especially into London. But tbh you'd still need to get a peak time train from most areas to get to Lord's for an 11am start anyway (first off peak train from my town is 9.25am, I reckon I'd be queueing to get in when the first ball was bowled).

If we can all make it to meetings in London by 9am, why can't we for a day at the cricket an hour later? Mind you, some of the Lord's regulars would be up in arms about having to pop their champagne corks at 12 rather than 1pm.

 

[Chin Music]

I agree about the cost of peak time travel, especially into London. But tbh you'd still need to get a peak time train from most areas to get to Lord's for an 11am start anyway (first off peak train from my town is 9.25am, I reckon I'd be queueing to get in when the first ball was bowled).

If we can all make it to meetings in London by 9am, why can't we for a day at the cricket an hour later? Mind you, some of the Lord's regulars would be up in arms about having to pop their champagne corks at 12 rather than 1pm.

Even so, the light holds until easily after 8pm here until late July. I don't really think that moving it earlier makes much sense. Bad light is bad light and just down to the changeable weather that is typical.

 

[Nas207]

Anecdotally opening the batting as early as 10am is rough and conditions change drastically with just an extra hour. It would often be a big advantage to win the toss and bowl with an early start

Imo managing different weather conditions and pitches is part of what makes cricket great. I also think the effects of cloud cover etc are exaggerated.

 

[Immenso]

Im in.

Like the 'Sweating under the covers' good ol' days.

Need some weather related variation back in the game.