WACA Wallys

[holybishop]

How would having a day night test at the WACA be 'sacrificing the sport'? They're not switching to rubber balls and metal bats.

When the pink ball that will be used was described as dull and lifeless and offering nothing to both bowlers and batsmen by the Shield players, then it's sacrificing the sport.

 

[The Speaker]

They also struggle to watch Test cricket on TV when it's played 11-6 EDT and they work 9-5 for three days of the game.

They struggle so much the Nine won most ratings weeks last summer that had Test matches.

 

[Rob]

You don't think there's a difference between playing during the day and playing during the night?

In Perth, not so much. It doesn't really get dewy at night in summer, and the WACA lights are as good as anywhere. Probably make for more entertaining play given the players won't be spending 8 hours in the ridiculously hot sun.

 

[hitthepost]

They struggle so much the Nine won most ratings weeks last summer that had Test matches.

Imagine how many more people they'd get for the Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart Tests if they were televised at the same timeslot as the Perth one is broadcast into the Eastern states.

 

[The Speaker]

Imagine how many more people they'd get for the Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart Tests if they were televised at the same timeslot as the Perth one is broadcast into the Eastern states.

At the cost of the sport? No thanks.

In Perth, not so much. It doesn't really get dewy at night in summer, and the WACA lights are as good as anywhere. Probably make for more entertaining play given the players won't be spending 8 hours in the ridiculously hot sun.

Night time necessarily changes the way the game is played.

Perth isn't going to have night Tests regardless, but you can't imagine that there is no change.

 

[Silent Alarm]

When the pink ball that will be used was described as dull and lifeless and offering nothing to both bowlers and batsmen by the Shield players, then it's sacrificing the sport.

Sacrificing aesthetics isn't sacrificing the sport. I'd argue what sacrifices the sport is manipulation of century old rules. Is calling WA the Warriors a pillaging of decency, or coloured one-day strips, or the 'Pura Cup' or whatever else? I'm sure you get behind the Scorchers but changing the colour of the sky is somehow the worst thing to happen? I don't know, I kind of hate cricket, but the issue it has is this false sense of a 'gentleman's game' and decency, decorum, and respect for its traditions yet they promote alcohol and their players flog skinny English kids in pubs? Pretty galling if you ask me.

 

[Silent Alarm]

its actually a disgrace that for such a hot place like Perth and that cricket is played in Summer they don't have Shade covers. So much for promoting sun smart.

The redevelopment of Perth Oval was a real endorsement of development in Perth, it looks great, it was needed, and it's what the WACA should one day be. But man, how can they have a stand predominately for families without a roof? And the main stand that actually has a roof only has it for aesthetics. When it's 35 degrees and the players are having drink breaks between halves, it's bizarre to not supply the same for fans. I mean how much more expensive is it? It's bizarre to not have good shade in the city that needs it most. Especially when you consider how unappealing travelling to the city on a sticky train or a hot car is to sit in the sun and watch the Glory get flogged is. But then how appealling it'd be to just cruise in and spend the arv sprawled out, a few seats to yourself, in the shade watching a bit of soccer for $10 is.

 

[Kram]

They can't get a ball to use at night that performs just like the red one, surely not that hard to understand..

 

[holybishop]

Sacrificing aesthetics isn't sacrificing the sport. I'd argue what sacrifices the sport is manipulation of century old rules. Is calling WA the Warriors a pillaging of decency, or coloured one-day strips, or the 'Pura Cup' or whatever else? I'm sure you get behind the Scorchers but changing the colour of the sky is somehow the worst thing to happen? I don't know, I kind of hate cricket, but the issue it has is this false sense of a 'gentleman's game' and decency, decorum, and respect for its traditions yet they promote alcohol and their players flog skinny English kids in pubs? Pretty galling if you ask me.

It's got nothing to do with the colour but how the ball performs. If they can get a different coloured ball that performs like the traditional red one then I'm all for night tests. Right at the moment that's not possible. The pink balls were ridiculed by the Shield players after the trial last season. If the ball produces boring cricket, no one is going to be tuning into test cricket regardless of when it's played.

 

[hitthepost]

They can't get a ball to use at night that performs just like the red one, surely not that hard to understand..

So we adapt the game. Use a pink ball that behaves similarly.

http://www.cricket.com.au/news-list/2014/6/30/shedding-light-on-the-pink-ball

In Shield matches with pink ball last summer:
8.17 wickets per innings vs 8.02 red ball
248 runs per innings vs 266 red ball
0.25 centuries per innings v 0.36 red ball
5.25 wickets and 60 overs per innnings per pace bowler vs 5.8 and 60 red ball
2.75 wickets and 29 overs per innings per spin bowler vs 2.14 and 25 red ball.

Ball deteriorates slightly differently and behaves slightly differently. But it does that on different pitches/outfields/weather conditions anyway.

 

[The Speaker]

Sacrificing aesthetics isn't sacrificing the sport. I'd argue what sacrifices the sport is manipulation of century old rules. Is calling WA the Warriors a pillaging of decency, or coloured one-day strips, or the 'Pura Cup' or whatever else? I'm sure you get behind the Scorchers but changing the colour of the sky is somehow the worst thing to happen? I don't know, I kind of hate cricket, but the issue it has is this false sense of a 'gentleman's game' and decency, decorum, and respect for its traditions yet they promote alcohol and their players flog skinny English kids in pubs? Pretty galling if you ask me.

The fact that you think the colour of the ball is about aesthetics says a lot.

 

[TheHoneyBadger]

Sacrificing aesthetics isn't sacrificing the sport. I'd argue what sacrifices the sport is manipulation of century old rules. Is calling WA the Warriors a pillaging of decency, or coloured one-day strips, or the 'Pura Cup' or whatever else? I'm sure you get behind the Scorchers but changing the colour of the sky is somehow the worst thing to happen? I don't know, I kind of hate cricket, but the issue it has is this false sense of a 'gentleman's game' and decency, decorum, and respect for its traditions yet they promote alcohol and their players flog skinny English kids in pubs? Pretty galling if you ask me.

It's got nothing to do with aesthetics and everything to do with creating different playing conditions.

Nobody cares what colour the ball is so long as it behaves in the same manner as the traditional red ball. The game's been marketed and toyed with as such that if night Test cricket was logistically possible it would've been done over a decade ago.

 

[The_Reaper]

Sacrificing aesthetics isn't sacrificing the sport. I'd argue what sacrifices the sport is manipulation of century old rules. Is calling WA the Warriors a pillaging of decency, or coloured one-day strips, or the 'Pura Cup' or whatever else? I'm sure you get behind the Scorchers but changing the colour of the sky is somehow the worst thing to happen? I don't know, I kind of hate cricket, but the issue it has is this false sense of a 'gentleman's game' and decency, decorum, and respect for its traditions yet they promote alcohol and their players flog skinny English kids in pubs? Pretty galling if you ask me.

It's not aesthetics.

So far the experiments with the pink ball have showed that it's pretty did and does nothing for the bowlers.

There is nothing more boring than roads.

 

[The_Reaper]

So we adapt the game. Use a pink ball that behaves similarly.

http://www.cricket.com.au/news-list/2014/6/30/shedding-light-on-the-pink-ball

In Shield matches with pink ball last summer:
8.17 wickets per innings vs 8.02 red ball
248 runs per innings vs 266 red ball
0.25 centuries per innings v 0.36 red ball
5.25 wickets and 60 overs per innnings per pace bowler vs 5.8 and 60 red ball
2.75 wickets and 29 overs per innings per spin bowler vs 2.14 and 25 red ball.

Ball deteriorates slightly differently and behaves slightly differently. But it does that on different pitches/outfields/weather conditions anyway.

Notice who got the wickets with the pink ball though.

Was the spinners like O'Keefe because the ball was slow and wasn't doing anything. So everyone just chucked on the mediocre to bog ordinary spinner and waited for batsmen to get frustrated with the ball not coming on to the bat.

 

[Rob]

At the cost of the sport? No thanks.



Night time necessarily changes the way the game is played.

Perth isn't going to have night Tests regardless, but you can't imagine that there is no change.

I wouldn't expect there to be no change, but that's not the point. Change isn't a reason not to do something. Otherwise all pitches would be synthetic so they're identical around the world, all venues would be indoors to control the air temperature, and **** it, let's ban all crowds from venues so it creates an identical atmosphere.
Just because it's different doesn't make it worse. As a spectator, the idea of watching test cricket in Perth in summer in the late afternoon and evening is a lot more appealing than doing so when it's 38 degrees. Especially at a shithole like the WACA.

 

[The_Reaper]

Rob The WACA is not getting the day nighters.

It will be Adelaide or Hobart.

 

[Rob]

Rob The WACA is not getting the day nighters.

It will be Adelaide or Hobart.

I know. Doesn't mean I hold the same opinion as CA.

 

[Kwality]

Interesting discussion on Melbournes SEN1116 with JL aka Justin Langer who was questioned directly on the WACA v Burswood:

• there has been discussion on moving games to Burswood specifically 20/20 & perhaps an Ashes test
• the WACA needs money spent to refresh it & it is being spent
• moving lower attendance games will lose money for cricket

Langer was critical of drop in pitches stressing only Joburg is like the WACA for the quicks & questioned why cricket would want bog standard ordinary pitches, those that bounce, break up, take spin ...

Nothing new but it was great to hear the case put clearly given he acknowledged he was not in a position to influence any decision.

Ex Hawk Daniel Harford (clearly a cricket fan) & Rodney Hogg talk cricket every week in the off season - worth a listen.

 

[holybishop]

Fast forward to 33:00 to hear JL

 

[holybishop]

Also skip to 6:30 to listen to Kim Hughes on the WACA. He hasnt been involved with the WACA for years now so he's pretty critical but still admits that Tests should likely stay at the venue.

 

[Kram]

Sajid Mahmood lol.

 

[Rob]

Langer was critical of drop in pitches stressing only Joburg is like the WACA for the quicks & questioned why cricket would want bog standard ordinary pitches

He should ask the Adelaide Oval curator.

 

[holybishop]

AO was a bog standard ordinary pitch before the drop in

 

[Kram]

He should ask the Adelaide Oval curator.

How to recreate their original dull cricket wicket with a drop in?

 

[Rob]

How to recreate their original dull cricket wicket with a drop in?

Exactly.

The most absurd thing is that they're actually proud of their wicket over there, as if a flat road is the envy of cricket grounds everywhere.