Cricket's test haters are again talking a reduction to four days for test cricket.
In Colombo this last week we saw the perfect reason why five-day tests are still the best option.
Had that been a four day test the game would have resulted in a boring draw that would have further enhanced the anti-test argument.
Instead because the test had a fifth day we saw a marvelous finish where the visiting team was not just trying to dismiss the hosts for a win but also fighting the elements - in this case , light and pending rain - to gain that win and thirty points in the test championship.
If a test only goes four days, fantastic. Players and officials get a day off.
If a test is badly rain affected, as in Sri Lanka last week, five days mean we can still get a result and a brilliant, tension filled finish.
Notably many tests are rain affected and probably more will be while teams are forced to use extra days at different times of the year than is tradition to complete the recently introduced test championship
Until test cricket is played in covered stadiums let's keep the five day format.
Let's keep getting those wonderfully entertaining, result producing, final days.
No comments:
Post a Comment