Day-Night Tests - the answer to Twenty20 cricket?

[smssia0112]

Well we've heard a lot about day-night tests in the media for a while, with different cricket boards throwing it up as an idea, but now Australia looks certain to trial it in the next 2 years:

http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/376641.html

http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport...-be-in-the-pink/2008/11/01/1224956408627.html

Cricket Australia has taken a major step towards hosting Test matches at night after being assured that it is possible to develop suitable balls that will replicate the performance of the traditional red balls. Australia have been keen on the idea of day-night Tests for some time, although the major sticking point was finding a ball that could be used for 80 overs and retain its characteristics and visibility under lights.



In July, Cricket Australia asked Australia's national government body for scientific research, the CSIRO, to discover whether such a ball could be developed. The CSIRO has now come up with an assurance that it can be done.

The new balls, as earlier predicted, will be pink.


At first I was against this, as it's against the tradition of test cricket, but now I see a massive plus to it. Reading the article in The Age and this one, the key points for seem to be:

The popularity of the current series in India, played in a day-night timeslot for Australia television viewers, suggests night Tests would be a ratings bonanza, leading to a 50% increase in player payments and a significantly bigger broadcasting rights deal. This would allow millions of dollars to filter down through all levels of the game. The Sunday Age understands a day-night Test will be played in Australia within two years.


CA spokesman Peter Young yesterday revealed the CSIRO guaranteed it could produce such a product.


"The public is telling us they want to watch their sport in the evening. The Australia phenomenon reflects a global trend of high-level sports being played at night. That's either in terms of more people going through the turnstiles to attend, or watching on TV.


"People are voting with their feet and their remote controls, particularly in summer because it allows sport to be consumed in the cool of the evening. And, of course, it allows people to attend after school or work."

Certainly with Twenty20 on the rise and test cricket seemingly losing popularity, I can see the positives of day-night tests, while in Melbourne cricket has always been on public holidays (Boxing Day) and school holidays (ODI cricket), November tests in Brisbane, Hobart, Adelaide/Perth have been during school and work so give less opportunity for the locals to view them.


This would add some colour and excitement to cricket, and perhaps bring tests back to up the forefront of the program.


Go for it I say! Thoughts?

 

[SaiSrini]

I vote for this.. I love day/night games, and want to see how day/night tests pan out. They could also have a test where its day/night during the week and is the usual day ones during the weekends. It will be a creative one.

I think it might lead to more results because the night conditions could lead to more swing/movement for the fast bowlers in certain countries. So it could possibly lead to more results in tests.

 

[SciD]

India v Australia in day night test match will certainly fill all seats. Even I would wanna go to Australia to watch that game.

 

[mattfb]

lol why is test cricket even trying to counter twenty20. It's fine how it is and making it day night is just stupid. The only reason Twenty20 is so popular is because it has more younger kids going there. Test cricket isn't losing popularity, Twenty20 is just bringing more fans into the game to make it look that way.

 

[SciD]

T20 has its advantage too. The young kids in carribean have started watching and liking game and also money has started to flow in WI lockers. This will help test cricket in long run.

 

[mattfb]

Exactly. Just ignore Twenty20. It's only brining new familys into the game and the same amount of people are viewing tests. When these young kids get older they will probably start getting into tests anyway. Hopefully.

 

[khalek]

What rubbish is this? :

Cricket culture > Money and mass entertainment.

 

[India2011]

It's not about maintaining the culture. Just because there is a day night test doesn't mean that the quality of cricket will go down. It will just mean that it will spread test cricket to a wider audience and make it easier for me and millions of other people to watch test matches live.

I'm all for the idea. What's the point of having a test match going on when everyone's at school or work anyways?

 

[Kev]

As long as the quality of the cricket isn't degraded then I don't see why not. Trouble is as we have seen from day/night one day matches the quality is degraded. Is Test Cricket really in that much trouble that it has to come up with kneejerk reactions to T20? I don't think it is. I think this needs very very careful consideration and the over riding reason should not be that they'll get a bit more cash from a TV company.

India2011 - take the day off!

 

[ZoraxDoom]

I don't know how this will work though. Playing cricket under floodlights is chaotic enough, but in a Test? I want to see it, but I have a feeling there are going to be a lot of batting collapses or a rise in the run rates during the floodlight period.

If they do it when light is getting bad, and just maybe like an hour or so after what should be the closing time, when it is still light out but not bright enough, it could be nice. But playing at night with complete darkness and floodlights, doesn't feel right.

 

[Sureshot]

The quality of cricket in day-night OD games are poor, in regards to being favourable to the side who bats first, once that is sorted, then maybe we can do day-night test matches. Makes no difference to my view on test cricket compared to T20 cricket.

 

[India2011]

India2011 - take the day off!

A full test match? Five days off? I don't think so.

They'll however have to come up with new ball technology to get the white ball to last longer so that it will still be test cricket. And I think the teams should change their test kits. I mean, they should still keep them white, but making it more ODI-ish with the player names at the back and the team name at the front would be nice.

 

[Kev]

A full test match? Five days off? I don't think so.

Why not? If I could afford tickets to all 5 days of a Lord's test, I'd take the entire time off. I already take time off to watch all 4 days of a county match many times a season (I'd take enough time off to watch every single day of every single match if I had enough annual leave). It's only 5 days what's a week off, people do it to go on holiday to a crappy resort in Spain every year.

 

[Leicester Fox]

Who can afford 5 days to the test. Tbh I have no idea how the barmy army do it, I presume they are all millionaires or something Although I am hoping to go away with them next year.

anyway. I don't see the need, it's is more people trying to get moneys.

 

[m_vaughan]

Well I think its very easy to ignore Twenty20 because it gets over in a jiffy. Its hardly a sport in itself, and although it is becoming a commercially active format, it still has nothing to justify itself as a form of sport.

Basically, who cares who the Twenty20 champions are?