M18CTID
Well-Known Member
leighton said:It is a bit stupid that when you play for as long as they do in test cricket that they cant get a winner out of the match. No wonder a lot of people think that the test game is stupid or boring. Maybe a change in the rules would sort it out and give it a more attacking game. Or simplely whoever scored the most over those 5 days just get the win no matter what happens.
In fairness test cricket has changed a lot over the last 10 or 15 years. Teams tend to score runs at a quicker rate than they perhaps used to, which in turn has added to the excitement somewhat. However, it can still be a real war of attrition at times but slow scoring doesn't always equate to boring cricket. I remember an Ashes test match at Lords in 1993. Australia were the dominant force in that series and were well on top in that particular test but Mike Atherton put up a tremendous rearguard action. In the 2nd innings he successfully dealt with Australia's devastating pace attack and the mesmerising spin of Shane Warne and never remotely looked like getting out while the rest of his team-mates collapsed like the proverbial house of cards. There were moments in his innings when he had to fend off ball after ball without adding to his score, but nonetheless he was closing in on a heroic century when he was cruelly and unexpectedly run out on 99 after turning and slipping when making the final run that would have given him his ton. With it went any chance England had of saving the game but it was still a great spectacle seeing such a fantastic innings when the odds were so heavily stacked against him.
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RROnrYzRhBs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RROnrYzRhBs</a>