Yep, it was a shocking incident but it’s been nearly 40 years- time to let the Avon River flow under the bridges of Christchurch I think.
I will agree that Australians are one of the worst offenders in slowing the game down, though.
At least the torpor hasn’t infected women’s cricket and Sheffield Shield cricket yet; it’s refreshing to see players in these leagues get on with the game.
Jim Maxwell, on the latest "Stumped’ podcast, is pretty ambivalent and even dismissive of the slow over rate problem in test cricket (the context being Jason Holder’s suspension). He claims that most spectators couldn’t care less about how many overs are bowled during a day’s play (and probably don’t know how many in fact have been bowled). While I take his point, it’s surely a better spectacle if the narrative of the day’s cricket isn’t constantly interrupted by unnecessary stoppages.
I’m sure there’s an implicit caveat in his statements somewhere.
Apparently the Windies teams of the 80s regularly failed to bowl 80 overs in a day. We are heading towards that level of tardiness again, though there is a fairly strong incentive to bowl at least 85 overs due to the second new ball.
I don’t think the slow over rate is as big an issue as it used to be since teams now have to bowl for 30 mins (I think it is) past the regular stumps time in order to catch up.
If anything this makes it more egregious imo. The standard for test cricket is 90 overs in 6 hours (30 per session). There simply is no excuse for failing to bowl 90 in 6.5 hours, even allowing for DRS and other delays.
I’ve accepted that a 6.5 hour day is the new normal though (as with extreme summer temperatures).
Agreed, though the fielding side does bear most of the responsibility for the rhythm of play (after all, the bowler initiates each passage of play). But yes, even batsmen regularly hold up play unnecessarily at times- pulling away every time a gnat flies in front of their face for example.
My main contention is that every aspect of the game is getting slower- over rates, umpiring decisions, drinks breaks, etc. I’m not sure what the solution is unfortunately, since it’s so embedded in the game now. But any punishment should be applied consistently; sanctions for slow over rates have been anything but consistent and very arbitrary.
Take the BBL for example.
Playing conditions clearly state it’s 80 mins per inns (4 mins per over) plus a 15 min change of innings, making 175 mins per match. How on earth is the average game taking 195-200 mins yet no one has been sanctioned yet this season (that I can remember)?
Yes, that’s what I’ve been wondering. The other year where they were handing out infringements and suspensions then it was at the forefront of all the teams minds and the captain in particular because they knew they were personally at risk if things took too long. The crackdown that year was good, got everyone aware that there are rules and got things moving.
Yeah I must admit there was a time where I expected there to be 90 overs a day and 100 runs per session. That’s what I’d paid my money for.
But in reality - let’s face it - Jim Maxwell is right.
The 21, 391 people who went to the Gabba on Friday night would not have left the ground shaking their heads complaining ‘we paid for 40 overs and only got 30’…
Batsmen are just getting way too precious. The sight screens in Australia these days are the size of Olympic swimming pools. The slightest movement anywhere and they go cray cray.
Meantime at Lords the sight screens are the size of postage stamps and you can even sit in front of them*
The only way that will happen is if the ICC take control of all television telecasts for every series (won’t happen, too expensive) and that they sit the TV umpire in the directors truck outside the ground.
This is my opinion on the Big Bash for next season:
Play triple headers every Saturday and Sunday with another weekday having a double header to have the second match in Perth. Public Holidays like Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and Christmas Day can also be double or triple headers. This would cut back the time required for the BBL to be finished by.
The Finals should remain how it is however I would like a week between the Semi Finals and the Grand Final to build up the GF and allow injured players and International’s to play.
I will soon do a mock fixture to see how the WBBL and BBL will line up timeframe wise.
That level of travel is standard in competitions such as the NBA so I can’t see why not.*Apart from Perth, all capitals can be reached within a few hours.
I do think the competition needs to be shortened to at least six weeks, preferably 4-5. Boxing Day to the end of Jan would be ideal.
*(In the NBA, a ‘road trip’ to the opposite coast is common, with east coast teams travelling to play several west coast teams and vice versa).
Depends on the terms they have agreed to with the players association. I’m not doubting it might happen in other sports. For some reason I think there might be agreed to day breaks.
Dean Jones, Billy Murdoch and Cathryn Fitzpatrick will be inducted into Australian Cricket Hall of Fame during this evening’s Australian Cricket Awards in Melbourne.
Australia will return to United Arab Emirates in March to play five ODI matches against Pakistan.
22 March - 1st ODI, Sharjah (d/n)
24 March - 2nd ODI, Sharjah (d/n)
27 March - 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi (d/n)
29 March - 4th ODI, Dubai (d/n)
31 March - 5th ODI, Dubai (d/n)
The fourth ODI is held on the first day Steve Smith and David Warner become available again after their suspensions from last year’s ball tampering scandal finish.
As widely predicted, Patrick Cummins was awarded the Allan Border Medal for his bowling performance over the past 12 months. Hot favourite Alyssa Healy was awarded the Belinda Clark Medal.
Hobart hurricanes chances of a maiden title have came to An end following a six wicket defeat to the melbourne stars at Blundstone arena. The final will either be played at Marvel Stadium or Scg on Friday.
