The problem with Test cricket

After an astonishing climax to last week’s second, and regrettably final, Test between South Africa and Australia at the Wanderers, and an equally enthralling finale to the drawn Test match between India and the West Indies, a common and frankly unsettling debate has once again bubbled to the surface: is Test cricket really dying? On the evidence of that historic day in Johannesburg or those final moments in Mumbai certainly not, but aside from these extraordinary, yet increasingly rare, moments of clarity in which the future of Test cricket looks safely intact, the situation is otherwise rather more uncertain.

Exposure

One thing that perhaps all cricket fans and commentators can agree on is that there is too much cricket. As the only major Test playing nation in the northern hemisphere it is perhaps an issue more familiar to those who follow English cricket, but with the influx of the unnecessarily long IPL and a multitude of television commitments to adhere to it is a concern for cricket the world over. Most saddening is that Test cricket suffers more than most.

What people fail to realise is that Test cricket is completely and utterly unique from all other forms of cricket. The skills shown in a Twenty20 are not likely to offer much in a Test match, and whilst the 50 over game mirrors Test match batting more adequately, the defensive and restrictive nature of bowling often found in a one day game does little to prepare a bowler for the rigours of a five day match.

"We do play too much cricket and if something had to give my choice would be 50-over cricket, or make it 40-over cricket or something.” Graeme Swann

A greater focus on limited overs cricket does almost nothing to support Test cricket and its increasing presence on the world stage may well be slowly bringing the game’s legendary format to its knees. Knocking 40 off 30 balls or bowling ten overs in a day is so far removed from the intensity of Test cricket that it is no surprise that interest in the game appears to have waned. Players regularly turn up undercooked and often cannot complete a Test match because they’re exposure to ‘tough’ cricket has been so infrequent.

For cricket as a sport to succeed and remain an entertaining and enthralling battle between bat and ball Test cricket must remain at the helm. Test cricket serves as the benchmark for all other cricketing ventures. It teaches bowlers to work out their opponents, how to bowl aggressively and to savour an opponent’s wicket. It tests a batsman’s technique, temperament and ability to protect their wicket at all times. These are treasured and essential skills in cricket; skills that if Test cricket was to lose its authority would soon find themselves absent from the game and would ultimately destroy the very fabric of the sport.

Competition

In order for Test cricket to reclaim its rightful place at the top of the sport it must more than anything else remain competitive. This does not necessarily mean ensuring a result after five days, a draw is often the fairest outcome and saving a Test match can be riveting viewing, but ensuring that along the way there is an even and exciting battle between bat and ball and that ultimately those players who step out on the field are tested.

One obvious tweak is to produce more interesting wickets. Clearly the surface must be safe and ideally last four or five days, but watching batsmen (usually Indian’s in India) churn out scores of 500 plus every innings, bagging a century each in the process, is just plain boring. Cricket’s old boys are forever harping on about a lack of fast bowling talent and genuine world class wicket takers, yet whilst we do not wish to gift bowler’s wickets they don’t deserve, one reason for such complaints may not be simply a lack of talent but rather the sheer volume of cricket and the unresponsive surfaces on which it is played.

"In the English summer the pitches had a little bit in them for the bowlers but if you bat well enough you can score big runs which we did. Organisers are going to want five days of cricket for the gate receipts but at the same time people want to see exciting cricket so the pitches need to be result pitches."  James Anderson

Crucially competitive wickets attract that rare breed of fan – the neutral. Sure any England fan doesn’t mind watching the Aussies loose by an innings and 50 runs, but to a South African such a one-sided result offers little in the way of unbiased entertainment. Rewind to 2005 and you find a series that encapsulated the entire cricketing community. Why? Because the series was played on a knife edge. So thrilling was the narrative that even non-cricket fans found themselves glued to the television or queuing for miles outside Lords just to get a taste of the action.

What was unique about that series however, and in fact every other series between England and Australia, was its context, something clearly devoid from almost all non-Ashes cricket. Take the English Premier League. Its competitive nature and increasing rivalries between clubs and their fans keeps this multi-million pound industry thriving year after year. Cricket does not have this. The news that the planned Test Championship, that would see the top eight Test playing nations compete against one another in a knockout style competition, is to be postponed until at least 2017 is certainly tragic but its conception alone (which I applaud) suggests something is rotten in Test match cricket.

Cook and Strauss in all male SPA shortlist

England captain Andrew Strauss and vice-captain Alastair Cook have been shortlisted for the 2011 Sports Personality of the Year Award.

Strauss and Cook have been integral to a magnificent year for English cricket. A thumping victory in the Ashes down under was followed by an equally impressive 4-0 whitewash of India on home soil this summer, a result that meant England would begin 2012 as the world's no. 1 Test team.

After a poor run of form in the summer of 2010 Cook was a man under pressure, but with 766 runs in five Ashes Tests and 294 against India this summer - the sixth highest score by an Englishman and the best since Graham Gooch's 333 against the same apposition in 1990 - the elegant Essex opener proved he was here to stay.

He was duly rewarded with the One Day captaincy and went on to preside over series victories against Sri Lanka and India, all the while contributing handsomely at the top of the order. A 5-0 defeat in India at the back end of the summer reminded Cook that captaincy could not be taken for granted, but having overcome obstacles in his short career so far it would be no surprise if Cook returned with aplomb in 2012.

As Test captain however Andrew Strauss's success has almost been untainted this year. Unbeaten in their last nine series Strauss has given England the kind of stability and calm that they needed after the disastrous series in the West Indies in 2008.

In 2011 Strauss masterminded an astonishing Ashes victory in Australia and helped England to their first whitewash over India since 1974. In partnership with Andy Flower, Strauss has helped mould England into a prolific and highly professional unit who will once again be looking to assert their authority over world cricket when they face Pakistan and Sri Lanka this winter.

England v West Indies, ICC World Twenty20 2010, Group D, Providence

West Indies 60 for 2 (Gayle 25) beat England 191 for 5 (Morgan 55, Wright 45*) - D/L method

Messrs Duckworth and Lewis caused major controversy in England's rain-affected opening group game of the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 against West Indies at Providence, with England robbed of what appeared to be a likely victory. Having amassed 191 for 5, arguably their finest batting display in the history of the format, West Indies were set a revised, and frankly less-than-challenging 60 from 6 overs which Chris Gayle and company knocked off just in the knick of time. The tourists were dealt a cruelly ironic blow having travelled halfway around the world hoping to escape  a typically English start to the summer it seemed the rain-clouds had followed them across the Atlantic and England were ultimately undone by an all-too-familiar foe.


Credit though must go to Gayle who took full advantage of the surprisingly fortunate position his team found themselves in, and his timely assault on England's opening bowlers proved decisive for the host-nation. Ryan Sidebottom was milked for 15 runs from an opening over in which the shaggy-haired Nottinghamshire seamer beat the outside edge three times and even caught the splice of the willow, only to sacrifice his line and length to Gayle who obliged with a four and a six in succession. Shivnarine Chanderpaul ably assisted his captain sweeping Graeme Swann for six seeing his team to 30 from 2.2 overs, and effectively ending England's hopes of a victory.

England's nemesis comes back to haunt them in their opening fixture

Image courtesy of cricinfo.com

Earlier a new-look England team had produced a truly refreshing display of limited overs batting. Craig Kieswetter and Michael Lumb (fresh from the IPL) provided aggression from ball one, with scores of 26 from 14 and 28 from 18 respectively, their only failure was that they did not go on to make substantial contributions. Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen were less fluent as Nikita Miller and Darren Sammy were able to put a brief strangle hold on the England charge.


The turning point of the match came at the halfway point. With the score reading 88 for 4 Eoin Morgan and Luke Wright found themselves together at the crease, and after five overs of careful accumulation the shackles were broken in the final five. Kieron Pollard's figures were demolished by the Sussex pinch-hitter, smashing one over - including two sixes. Morgan was equally impressive as he dealt with Dwayne Bravo creaming a four straight down the ground, before sweeping him over backward square leg for six, as the 50 partnership came up in 6.5 overs.


Wright and Morgan were not done yet and Ravi Rampaul who had leaked 25 runs in his first 2 overs was then blasted to all parts for 27 from his third and final over - the destructive duo sharing three sixes in the over. Morgan went on to bring up his half-century from a meagre 32 balls, finally succumbing to Pollard four balls from the end. Wright however continued to dominate and remained unbeaten on 45. Collingwood's men had posted their finest batting display in their Twenty20 history and fans will be hoping that the team can still take much-deserved confidence from this harshest of defeats.