Pink Cricket ball farce

[The Speaker]

Look at test crowds around the world.

In general they are horrendous, even for the best teams.

No-one's going to go to match where a draw is obvious by the end of day two regardless of what time it's played.

The logic being used around this match is so backwards it beggars belief, and you cannot help but wonder if CA are evil genuises or luckily incompetent.

 

[Blue1980]

Day night tests are the way to go. A unintended victim could be 50 over cricket, as if you have tests in prime time which people care about, it surely makes the need for as many 50 over marches less necessary.

It's been a massive success financially with the crowds and as a spectacle. It makes no sense to continue playing at times when the majority of the population is working, what other sport does that?

The tradition argument is ridiculous, if they had lights like they do now back in the 1870s I'm sure they would of used them.

This will give test cricket a big shot in the arm

 

[Willo_]

Are people seeing a different ball to me? In the shot of Southee then you could clearly see a black seam?

 

[krisholio14]

Please explain to me how and why Test Cricket is dying? It's a myth peddled by TV stations who having herded us to watch on TV instead of turning up to watch but live. This test unfortunately proves nought - takeaway the novelty factor next time around and you might be surprised. The fact that we have a fair pitch in terms of bat and ball for the first time in the series and all of a sudden we have a contest. Put the pink ball to under the same conditions as the WACA and I'd be surprised if you didn't get the same outcome.
This test will finish inside of three days. That will be a financial disaster for CA

No it won't. This same test played solely as a daytime test would have drawn less that half the crowd even if it went the full 5 days.

 

[krisholio14]

No it won't. This same test played solely as a daytime test would have drawn less that half the crowd even if it went the full 5 days.

I thought it was black too, but apparently it's green?

 

[KissKiss]

Yeah dark green for some reason. My vision isn't great but it doesn't look that easy to see

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

I thought it was black? There was some story that they'd experimented with white, black and a combination.

The players said the combination was easiest to see - four black lines of stitching and two white ones.

 

[Blue1980]

Its one game. How many people sit and watch a whole days play for 5 days in a row? Do you leave work at 1pm every day to watch the Perth test?

I watch more cricket when we are touring than at home.... clashes a lot less with working hours.

And that surely isn't right. We should make it as convenient as possible for us to watch cricket in our own country.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

And some people are determined to be for the concept regardless as well. Such as yourself.

Lol yeah because that clearly isn't happening the other way around. Some people are so desperate to hang on to test cricket that they will accept any s**t concept thrown their way.

The ball is rubbish and the difference between day and night play over a 5 day match is too much. This is not going to work. This isn't test cricket.

If you ignore the cricket and the crowds the concept looks like being a fizzer

 

[Blue1980]

If you ignore the cricket and the crowds the concept looks like being a fizzer

I agree it's also obvious that before Thursday not a single part of test cricket had changed between 1877.

Well if you don't count changes to balls per over, fielding regulations, helmets, everyone bowling over arm now, when the new ball can be taken, the no ball rule, lbw rules, length of matches.

It is probably the single most dramatic change to any sport, ever.

 

[footyfan1978]

Ironic it was the previous Test with red ball that had problems with the ball.
There are issues with the pink ball but the bottom line is we can still play cricket with it under lights. Maybe make the seam stand out more to eye than the glow of pink to naked eye and maybe just maybe we change a pink ball after every 45 or 50 overs if the pink lacquer does not last long enough in some games. In this game it's durability was not tested so much as we never got close to needing to use a ball that 80 overs old under lights.

However in future day/nighters it must come into consideration how to deal with such issue.

I personally believe a day/night Test in Adelaide and one more in summer at another venue is the right balance going forward.
Maybe when new Perth stadium is up and running we try it there. I got no issue with game on tv at night session from Perth running past midnight here. If Perth get big crowds for it like Adelaide then it becomes a no brainer there. Brisbane is other option but slight concern of timing of year if storms often in evening. Does that happen there in early November ?

I also have no problem if they made day/night Tests over 4 days with same amount of playing time of sessions that 5 day Tests have. 30 hours over 4 days can be done. Just means making last session of night a little longer. They did that with SuperTests under lights in late 1970's which channel 9 showed.

Four or five days long. I do not care. As long as it is still 30 hours of play and at least 450 overs possible it is fine with me.

 

[The_Reaper]

Look at test crowds around the world.

In general they are horrendous, even for the best teams.

Dew is a pretty big issue for day/night cricket in Asia.

England gets great crowds anyway.

So it's Aus/SA/NZ?

 

[Knobslayer]

Dew is a pretty big issue for day/night cricket in Asia.

England gets great crowds anyway.

So it's Aus/SA/NZ?

The Adelaide test showed atmosphere bcause of the big crowds attracted to day night. Teething problems with the ball and sudden swing after 8pm and that finished it in 3 days. Hard for any batsman after 8pm when the dew made it swing - bad luck Sean Marsh 49 and not being there at the end.

 

[The Speaker]

The Adelaide test showed atmosphere bcause of the big crowds attracted to day night. Teething problems with the ball and sudden swing after 8pm and that finished it in 3 days. Hard for any batsman after 8pm when the dew made it swing - bad luck Sean Marsh 49 and not being there at the end.

Considering the irrepressible existence of night time, that's going to be one long period of 'teething'.

 

[ManWithNoName]

When was this apparent golden era where Test cricket got enormous crowds?

 

[The_Reaper]

When was this apparent golden era where Test cricket got enormous crowds?

Pre 1980s

 

[footyfan1978]

When was this apparent golden era where Test cricket got enormous crowds?

Maybe Bradman's time. Really not looked at crowd figures myself.
1960's when West Indies were here must have been huge to get such a big record crowd at G at the time with Melbourne population probably half of what it is now ?

Not noticed that much difference at MCG in time I been watching for Tests. More depends on whom you are playing. What I have noticed in my time is how the one day cricket crowds were huge when I first started going. Remember going to G in early 1980's and just knowing it would be 80,000 for Australia v West Indies at the G. Was not even World Cup event. Just how big West Indies were then for us to play against.
Now one day crowds are crap unless it is World Cup itself.
This is mainly due to overcrowding of schedule with so many one day games now they lose their meaning and teams simply rotate players rather then pick their best team.
Barely gone to a one dayer myself in last 10 years.
I used to go all the time until about 15 years ago.
Australia's opening game to World Cup v England was one about only one dayer I been to since seeing Australia play World XI at Etithad stadium with Hussey hitting the roof.

Cannot believe I took it for granted in earlier 1980's that going to the G to see Australia take on might of West Indies in a one dayer was certain massive crowd. It was like climbing Mount Everest just to even get close to beating their side with Viv Richards, Greenidge, Haynes, Logie, Dujon, Marshall, Holding, Garner and Roberts in it.

Now their team they have could not beat an egg and attract 25,000 crowd I suspect.

 

[Bumpswithagrin]

With regard to the seam, apparently it is green. They had a bloke from Kookaburra on the ABC on the on the weekend and he said it was green. They had thought that white would be better but the players said they couldn't see it so they made the seams green instead.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

I consider myself a crickey traditionalist

But day/night cricket and the pink ball gets a big tick from me!! The white clothing at night was a beautiful spectacle!


The only thing I'd want to trial again is the orange ball

Apparently the only thing wrong with the orange cricket ball was it wasn't great on TV

However that was 20 years ago... With the advent of HD tv / maybe that has changed

 

[Bradesmaen]

I thought it was black too, but apparently it's green?

It looked white to me, but once it hit the ground a fair bit it got darker just like a red ball and white ball.

 

[Richard Pryor]

When was this apparent golden era where Test cricket got enormous crowds?

Back before tv coverage when you had to be there to see it. Even then crowds dropped when Bradman retired. (Was watching a Keith Miller documentary on youtube, apparently he was saying in the 50's that cricket needed a shorter format to keep people interested which I found pretty interesting).

 

[krisholio14]

It looked white to me, but once it hit the ground a fair bit it got darker just like a red ball and white ball.

The middle stitching is definitely white. the outer stitching was dark, and apparently it's green.

 

[strewthcobber]

3.2m peak audience for the last session yesterday.

That is massive. Day/night tests are here for good.

 

[Underdog]

The only thing I'd want to trial again is the orange ball

Apparently the only thing wrong with the orange cricket ball was it wasn't great on TV

However that was 20 years ago... With the advent of HD tv / maybe that has changed

I heard on recent coverage that the orange ball had a comet illusion to the eye. Meaning that the ball had a tail and thus wasn't very clear.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

I heard on recent coverage that the orange ball had a comet illusion to the eye. Meaning that the ball had a tail and thus wasn't very clear.

Yep heard the same thing - but that comet effect was only on TV - not live at the game/on the pitch.