Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

Slow over rate makes England's feat of losing ten wickets in a session all the more special.

Third time in two years, apparently.

Over rates in this series been worst i can remember tbh

Durhamfootman wrote:counties get penalised for slow over rates

just saying

Only the players, media and corporates really care about the specific time intervals occupy, not the match going and/or TV watching audience - they take/make/buy their own food/drink to suit!

Hydration breaks and reviews (along with unregulated timewasting!) have substantially cut into how much play actually occurs in each session - so why not have a schedule something like:

10:45 - 13:00
13:30 - 15:45
16:15 - 18:30

If the 30 overs aren't bowled in 135 minutes, then teams stay out until they are - none of this try to catch them all up at the end! - with teams/captains also fined runs/matches.

Additional play for lost time would be 15 minutes added at both the start and end of each remaining day.

FWIW - the Broad over this morning took 9 minutes!!

I think the breaks may be untouchable due to the tv companies needing to get their ads in. But I like the idea. I do wonder if teams still won't get the overs in even if you give them extra time to do it. The time taken will expand to not quite fit into the time available.

It's not just about fulfilling the obligation to supply the full amount of agreed overs though. The rate really is important. Beyond a point, the game starts to drag and an inherently slow game starts to feel like it is becoming devoid of content.

Of course, things were once worse. West Indies in the eighties remain unsurpassed.

Would be interesting to see how many results were affected only by the players' inability to get all of the possible overs in, rather than those that stood little chance due to the pitch/weather?

it's not just me, then?

that's encouraging

I did wonder if I was Norman No Mates standing indignantly in a empty stand, pointing at the scoreboard, after everyone else had buggered off home/hit the pub

It's worse when you are there.

Edgbaston was frustrating for it especially IMO

India were bowling like 12 overs an hour at one stage with Ashwin on.

This test poised nicely for India, hate to say but hope we get a thumping win. I was thinking this series would be 5-0. Maybe there's a reason India are no.1 after all

We moan about this at the close of play every day!

ddb wrote:It's worse when you are there.

Edgbaston was frustrating for it especially IMO

India were bowling like 12 overs an hour at one stage with Ashwin on.

This test poised nicely for India, hate to say but hope we get a thumping win. I was thinking this series would be 5-0. Maybe there's a reason India are no.1 after all

Totally agree, it annoyed the hell out of me when I go and watch test cricket, it isn't really much of a problem on the telly barring when the comms say at the end of play overs have been lost.
at the ground it is very telling how the play is very slow.


would be a massive win and probably be a statement of india number 1 tag.
would be a win that would confirm india number 1 tag anyway, no other team has a viable claim to it now barring maybe Aus and they have the disadvantage of not being the best team in SENA nations so they don't have the advantage of what india has in winning games in Asia+ WI as well.

In reality that what separates Aus and India now, Home records similar, Record outside the Comfort zones are similar but Australia are not winning much in SA, NZ, Eng etc whereas india will have an very good record in Asia.

actually easier for a non Asian team to become a viable number 1 team anyway they only need to find a way to win against poor Sri lankan, Bangladesh side away from home and then if they have a good bowling attack they should be able to win against the others.
for an asian team it is far more tricky considering vast majority of the Strong sides are SENA Nations so they have to overcome 2 massive hurdles, the conditions aspect of it and then the fact they facing a very strong team that usually contains the worlds best players.

Crikey having a good read at the papers, a lot thinking about india coming back to win the series or something specials going to happen in the series.

massive turn around of everyone thinking about a 5-0 win to then going to a 3-2 loss or 2-2 draw.

if the pitches are flatter or more batting friendly do think india hold the edge though, better bowling attack and it probably allows the indian batsman to score runs and put pressure on the spinner and the bowlers outside broad and anderson.
England are very one dimesional team at the moment and one reason why they home record is average.

alfie wrote:

Dr Cricket wrote:Surprised the lack of criticism the bowling getting today though, probably the worst I seen england bowl for a long time, they even bowled better in the ashes and the past India series.
No exaggeration there either at least in those two nations they bowled to their field and provided control.

The bowling in the last 2 sessions were pathetic, so many easy runs and boundary balls India were scoring 4-5 runs an over with ease.
IMHO that could probably be the difference in this game especially it did look like a deck with some help for the bowlers if they pitch it in the right areas.

They probably won’t critise the bowling anyway since if england lose suspect they will look at the batting failures or Jennings drop.
But got a feeling india got an above par total on their way and England let the advantage slip with couple of hours buffet bowling.

If India had a better tail batting england could be in serious trouble in this test match.

Can't agree with this. Bowling was not at all bad , apart from Stokes who seemed a little over-anxious to get back into things and bowled a lot of loose stuff. Pitch was fairly easy for batting - some movement yes but nothing a good player couldn't handle
; and the lack of pace allowed adjustments as required.
Rashid got the big wicket ; but still leaks too many runs for mine ...takes away any pressure of tight bowling at he other end. Still he may yet play a part later.
I think the truth is India played much better (not hard , perhaps !) today. Right from the openers , they left better and picked up runs when they had the chance , without taking great risks. Their two best players compiled an excellent partnership ; and if the tail can wag they could still get up around 400.

Whether that will be a winning total we won't know until England bat. Frankly I think this is a pitch on which a Test team ought to get a pretty decent score ; but we've seen England fold in similar positions too often recently. And that top order is overdue for runs...would be a good time for Root or Cook to make a big one...

day late but Berry criticises the bowling on day 1.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/201 ... e-failure/

although not much criticism of the bowling in the piece, seems I wasn't the only one thinking that considering the comments below the article.

boom cric prof showing that red ball practice actually has no bearing on performances in the Test series.

This scatter graph plots team batting average in Test series of 3+ matches since 2006 against the number of red ball overs that team faced on the tour before the series. The graph suggests the volume of red ball practice has no bearing on Test batting performance. #ENGvIND

people are really missing the biggest problem the lack of meaningful practices and facilities.

Just imagine this if England who have grew up in england and face so many games in county cricket against good bowlers have issues with swing and seam bowling how is 1 or 2 games against guys that don't even play county cricket for their sides on often pitches not even close to Test match wickets help the touring team overcome the challenges.

India will have way more meaningful practice having a dukes ball, a greenish pitch and them facing their own fast bowlers or doing funky stuff of facing taped ball or other activities that help prepare against the moving ball.

England will be going sri lanka this winter and 100% guaranteed the warm up games will be useless Sri lanka will give them awful teams and Flattest decks of all time they may even go something better and prepare a wet green deck.
no way is that good preparation for the test matches facing their spinners and on a deck spinning from Day 1.

they way more likely to be better placed making plans for the turning ball in the nets and spending time facing spin on Rank turners specially made for them in the nets and working on their techniques.

India should bat all day and beyond if they can.