11:30am would probably be a reasonable compromise.
11:30-1:30
2:10pm-4:10pm
4:30pm-6:30pm and straight into the all important news.
Although you’d have to do it for all days rather than just one.
Oh yes. Very much so.
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Except that 1830 finish will always be 1900 in the real world due to the pathetically slow over rates.
The move to a 1030 start in the last decade or so, rather than the traditional 1100, was basically in recognition of the new reality of a six and a half hour day. It’s a bit like how we’ve resigned ourselves to more extreme weather in the face of climate change.
No easy fix really, TV schedules dictate things and Channel Stokes wants to preserve that test cricket>news>BBL trifecta.
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I think CA have to be careful not to tamper with too much, sometimes ‘if it aint broke why fix it’
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I think 10:30am is slightly too early for the Melbourne/Sydney tests. I’d probably go with 11:00am starts for all 5 days to begin with and see how that goes (that time works well in England). There’s no shortage of daylight left at 6:30pm so that’s not an issue. As far as Seven is concerned, it’s their call if they would prefer the 6pm news over the close of play. Trying to manipulate the close of play to always be on the stroke of 6pm to maximise ratings is a bit greedy especially as they are not an exclusive rights holder.
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Greedy, yes, but it’s the way it has always worked really. Though once the rot started with over rates in about the late 90s, Channel 9 skunked those in the eastern states by cutting off the last half an hour in favour of news. Thank goodness those days are over.
If you want to talk about greed, the Indian TV channels basically run the game!
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Yes, I have many a childhood memory of relying on the ABC to keep track of the game when Nine went to the news (unless it was one of those times Kerry had pulled rank). It was even worse in regional areas sometimes as we had to wait for the local news to air as well. Glad that all ended when the digital multichannels were launched.
Sadly that is very true!
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Those go hand in hand. Waves = bored crowd and bad atmosphere in my opinion.
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Not necessarily. I remember recently in Pakistan the days starting times were all different due to a religious holiday to allow both spectators to turn up and for the team to observe their observations. Breaks were held at different times/lengths and sessions were 40 overs on a couple of the days with the longer break second to accommodate.
True, although for consistency and fairness sake, I’d prefer the same start time where possible.
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Oh absolutely. But if they started the whole thing at 11 but Day 1 at 11:30 I don’t think that should be an issue.
Another dire forecast for the New Years Test in Sydney.
My idea- make the Sydney Test the opener for the summer in mid-late October when the weather is less of an issue. Even better would be to shift Labour Day back a couple of weeks as well so that the Test can have an extra day where people have a day off work). I’d then run the remaining tests throughout November and December and close out with the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
2027 might have to be an exception though given the ODI World Cup will clash.
As part of this, I’d also make the BBL a quick-fire 4 week tournament over the school holidays (with 2 games per day most days). Have the opening games on NYE and have the final at say 3 or 4pm on the last Sunday of the school holidays (so as not to clash with the AO mens final and to also not be too late in the day for children getting ready for back to school). Giving the BBL it’s own breathing space where the international stars can play and at a time when kids and families are typically on holidays would help get the BBL back to where it was a few years ago in popularity. Condensing it into 4 weeks also stops the competition from dragging on too long.
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The official BOM forecasts are not as bad as that.
50% chance of 1-2 mm of rain each day. That suggests to me that there should be enough time to get a result still.
But if Warner doesn’t win his last Test, well he gets what he deserves. Honestly, he should have been dropped after his poor Ashes form in England. He was given too many chances in his career imo.
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That’s true, although with the way the weather’s been it could be not a drop of rain or it could be a downpour every day. It’s just that volatile at the minute across the entire eastern seaboard.
He was lucky to come back after sandpapergate and he’s been fortunate not to have had a lot of competition for his spot over the years. On his day he is brilliant but he’s always been too inconsistent.
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Agree, great on local and South African pitches. But never scored a Test century in England or India - out of 29 Tests / 56 innings
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Thought that type of thing only happened in Dunedin
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David Warner said this morning that Australia’s upset World Cup final victory over India in November marked his final match in the 50-over format.
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October!?!?!
Why wouldn’t you have it in primetime?
In 2019 let’s be honest.
Well probably at least. Has left himself open to be reselected for WCs/CTs in the future “if he’s playing well”. In other words he wants to focus on globetrotting, which you can’t blame him for really.
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Yes- footy season’s over by then and the weather in Sydney is more favourable in October than in January (less rain while still warm and plenty of sunshine). Also being the first test makes up for losing the prestige of being the last test.
Two reasons- it would be the same night as the Aus Open men’s final- that would fragment the audience. Also better for families to have an event in the daytime when it’s only a day or two to school going back (with the need to get back into bedtime routines).
Doing it that way would make it arguably the third biggest sporting day of the year (behind the AFL/NRL grand finals) and it could be promoted as such.
You do know when the first test of this summer was, right? And the summers before that? (pre Covid)
Why would they promote an opposition sport/broadcaster?
Night finals are here to stay mate, there’s no value in a day game (AFL/NRL could be but make/would make more money at night).
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Sydney test should’ve started today and I reckon Adelaide & Brisbane in a bit of trouble in terms of keen interest (crowd and TV) not just Windies but the time of year (everyone used to SCG being the 5th) and fatigue along with Big Bash after the other 3 Tests (1st also very weak) and recent CWC and last year too etc
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