All posts by h716a5.icu

Adelaide Oval may be shiny and all spruced up, but it’s a shadow of its former self

Aaron Owen11-Nov-2014On a recent sunny spring day, my visiting companion and I strolled along the well-mown and paved path bordering Torrens Lake to the southern entrance of Adelaide Oval. For the cricket fan, it’s the ultimate Adelaide must-do.A few years ago, a half-a-billion dollar redevelopment plan was pushed through, ostensibly to bring the Australian Football League – the highest level of cash-rich Australian Rules football – to Adelaide Oval. While wary that a proposal to turn the Oval into a “world-class stadium” would rob the venue of its much-feted charm and character, I was also aware that staying static could be the first step towards obsoleteness. All I could do was vote in the ballot, be outnumbered, and hope for the best.And now, the redeveloper’s efforts stood at the end of our walk from the CBD. An Adelaide Oval regular since I was nine, I’m old enough to remember the aged southern Creswell Stand, which was replaced by the modern-for-the-times Sir Donald Bradman Stand in the early nineties. And now – wow! – this new, but boringly named “Riverbank Stand” features every “modern” cliché in sporting architecture.This winter, the first AFL season back at the ground – home for the Adelaide Crows and Port Power football clubs – saw both teams share the ground and regularly draw large, vocal, involved and happy crowds of around 50,000.At the southern “front” entrance (when arriving from the city, as most will) in the vast open square-like area – adjacent to Adelaide’s now dwarfed but still premier tennis precinct, Memorial Drive – is a statue of Barrie Robran, perhaps the finest of all South Australian players of Australian Rules Football. The bronze sculpture, which depicts him “in flight”, is positioned in front of the ground.The ground level features much more open space than before, allowing spectators a glimpse of the game right from the moment they enter the stadium. It’s a lovely feeling to be able to see the Oval panorama even before one finds and takes one’s seat: a real soak-it-in moment.Spectators make their way into the Riverbank Stand•Getty ImagesThe 2014-2015 cricket season, including the World Cup, will be the first full cricket season in the new-look stadium. I’m looking forward to many days there in the added comfort of overhead shade, extra legroom, and hopefully some days with 50,000-plus crowds – a figure the Oval has not seen for decades.With all three stands now roofed similarly under sail-like canopies, the ground feels somehow more closed-in and, strangely, bulkier than before. This despite the white materials used and the airiness aspired to. The century-old scoreboard at the northern, or Cathedral, End, sitting in front of the gothic St Peter’s Cathedral, helps maintain some link to the past. It’s a wonder of sorts, still loved, still mostly accurate, and the Oval tour includes a visit inside the board to view its mechanics and secrets.The ground’s understated appeal is going, or perhaps gone, replaced by a 21st century user-friendly “interface”. And it is losing some character in the version update.The eastern stands, named for past South Australian footballing greats, are immense compared to the original sail-shaded stands named for the Chappell brothers. Apart from casting earlier and larger shadows across the ground, they now block out the view of the Adelaide Hills further to the east.But anyone would think I paid no attention to the ground! It looks and feels great: We got to walk on it! After some drought years in the last decade, Adelaide Oval has frequently looked patchy, but now every blade is colour- and condition-perfect.The anti-freeloader Moreton Bay figs•Getty ImagesThe giant and quick-growing Moreton Bay figs at the Cathedral End, I learnt, were planted over 100 years ago to block the view of unticketed spectators outside the ground. I couldn’t help but chuckle that something so beautiful and fitting as the figs were thought up merely as a safeguard against freebies.Around the back of the Members’ pavilion, the practice nets have moved away. To make up for the emptiness, there is a bronze statue of Jason Gillespie, caught in whirlwind action to former South Australia and Australia team-mate Darren Lehmann, who looks to be hoicking (as usual).Up the rear walls of the Members’ stands, the old ivy still exists, growing skyward; it was temporarily removed and survived replanting in an earlier upgrade of the stadium a few years ago.The visit to the Sheffield Room was rewarding all around. I saw the Sheffield Shield, Australia’s first-class domestic trophy, as well.Adelaide Oval may have slipped down the lists of the world’s most beautiful or elegant cricketing arenas. But who cares, really? It’s still hallowed ground. Come along and enjoy it. It won’t always be this way.

Cricket can be expanded further by giving the Associates enough opportunities to prove themselves

Jacob Astill19-Feb-2015Nothing makes me more disconsolate than a missed opportunity. I am sure that many readers will share my sentiment. In the 2003 World Cup, a spirited Kenyan team beat Test nations – Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh, before their incredible run was ended by India in the semi-finals. Kenya, though, deserve credit for giving India a run for their money in the Super Sixes.This gave beef to the argument that Kenya, with talented players like Collins Obuya, Kennedy Otieno, Thomas Odoyo, and Maurice Odumbe, could have made to Test cricket. That Kenya are the only Associate side to make the semi-finals in a World Cup is an achievement in itself. Captain Steve Tikolo, however, joined the list of of Clive Rice, Garth Le Roux, and Jamie Siddons among others, as some of the most talented players to have not played Tests. The two South Africans missed out due to the Apartheid regime, while Siddons was unlucky to be part of an exceptionally strong Australian era. Tikolo, Kenya’s greatest ever player, also missed out.Unfortunately, Kenya did not even qualify for the 2015 World Cup. Kenyan cricket is in disarray now and an argument could be made for negligence on behalf of the ICC.Ireland had toppled West Indies on Monday after defeating England in the 2011 World Cup in India. I believe we can also expect some decent performances from Afghanistan too.However, all this follows the dampening announcement of the 2019 World Cup being pruned to 10 teams. This means that there will be very little space the Associates – the top eight teams getting direct entry, while the other two places will be decided by a qualification tournament in Bangladesh. The Associates are already starved of enough opportunities in international cricket and their situation is likely to worsen, with the “redirection” of international cricket funds into the deepening pockets of the Big Three.So, do the Associates deserve less opportunities than Full Members? The answer is: they don’t. Cricket can be a game ripe for expansion, with an international fan base to rival other international sports like rugby and basketball. However, the nations who can contribute to the expansion are not being given opportunities. Had Sri Lanka been starved of opportunities to play international cricket after improved performances in the 1980s, the 1996 World Cup would have ended differently. Would India’s title win in 1983 have been as ground-breaking without the chances they were given in the decade before? Unlikely. Think of the players we would have lost if cricket had been restricted to only Australia and England. Big names like Sachin Tendulkar, Kumar Sangakkara, Sir Garfield Sobers,Sir Viv Richards, Barry Richards and Wasim Akram strike my mind.The reason cricket is cricket today is due to the development of Associates. This can be propped up further through more ODI or T20 cricket and appropriate funding to improve infrastructure at the grassroots. However, one thing is certain: the status quo of international cricket will never remain the same, it will either expand or decline. The latter looms large if things continue as they are. The World Cup is a bright chance for the Associates to test themselves against the best. You never know, they might surprise us.If you have a submission for Inbox, send it to us here, with “Inbox” in the subject line.

Pakistan have both their selection and batting to get right in a game against a team that is in as much of a hole as they are

Brydon Coverdale in Christchurch20-Feb-20150:53

‘We are not panicking’ – Misbah-ul-Haq

What is a par score in this World Cup? Ask most players and they’ll say something around 300. Since arriving down under in late January, Pakistan have played three ODIs and have been dismissed for 210, 250 and 224. In golf it’s good to be under par. In cricket it’s not. And Pakistan’s batting has been decidedly sub-par in the New Zealand/Australia conditions over the past few weeks.It should be mentioned that Pakistan won both of their World Cup warm-up games, against Bangladesh and England. But they were victories that came from chasing 247 and 251 respectively. To be a force in this tournament, Pakistan will have to be able to score 300-plus. And that will be all the harder while uncertainty surrounds their batting line-up.Pakistan are mercurial in every sense; their selections are as hard to predict as their performances. Some sort of change was required, for opener Mohammad Hafeez was ruled out of the World Cup through injury. But the logical move of replacing him with Nasir Jamshed was ignored, and instead Younis Khan was asked to open for the third time in 262 ODIs.Sarfraz Ahmed kept wicket in their past 10 ODIs before this World Cup, and was third on their run tally in that time. Then he was dropped on the eve of the tournament and Umar Akmal took the gloves. Haris Sohail went from No. 5 to first drop, Sohaib Maqsood came in for his first ODI in four months, and of the top six only Ahmed Shehzad, Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar stayed in their spots.”There’s no real panic with the batting,” Misbah said on the eve of Saturday’s match against West Indies in Christchurch. “Ahmed Shehzad did well in the last game, Umar Akmal and Haris Sohail have been doing well of late. It’s unfortunate that they had one bad game [against India], Haris got bogged down and then out. It’s not like Haris is not reading the ball well or anything; he was playing well and then got out.”There’s no reason to panic. That said, we do have to capitalise on our batting starts and hope that five of six batsmen get into form and get bat on ball so we can get big scores. We’ve discussed this in meetings, the importance of converting starts.”If you look at execution, it’s also pretty fine. Two games ago, Sohaib Maqsood finished a great match [against Bangladesh]. He was practicing hard, was in good nick, got 93. Umar Akmal did well against England, he executed his plans and finished them. It’s just one game against India that he failed. It was unfortunate that these two batsmen missed out there.”Perhaps the panic will set in if Pakistan follow their loss to India with defeat at the hands of West Indies, who opened their tournament by losing to Ireland. The similarities between the two sides are striking: both are without their best bowler due to questions over bowling actions; both have struggled for form in recent months; and both lost their World Cup opening match.”It’s an important game for us and also for West Indies,” Misbah said. “We both need to win this game. So I think both teams will be looking forward to this game, mentally and physically ready for that. If we need to do well in this World Cup this is an important game, and both teams need to win. We know that. Everybody is focused and trying hard.”Pakistan have entered this World Cup without Saeed Ajmal, the No. 1 ODI bowler in the world, and West Indies without Sunil Narine, the No. 2 in the world. But Jason Holder, the West Indies captain, said his side had started to become accustomed to making do without Narine.”He has done tremendously well for us over the years,” Holder said of Narine. “For him to miss any team is a big loss. We’ve just got to move on from that. We have capable players in the likes of Sulieman Benn and Nikita Miller, who are two quality spinners for us as well. It’s all about them getting their opportunity and performing for us.”We both [West Indies and Pakistan] haven’t been playing up to our potential and we’ve lost a few players. It should be a very entertaining game. I guess whoever executes their plans better on the day will come out on top.”

New Zealand poor opening and the stubborn bails among the plays of the day from the World Cup final

Sharda Ugra at the MCG29-Mar-2015The opening
The man who had asked New Zealand to dream big, had a nightmare start. Mitchell Starc showed why he is the undeniable bowler of the tournament, aided no doubt by Brendon McCullum’s desire to instantly stamp himself all over the match. McCullum had a mighty swing first ball and missed it altogether. He had a mightly charge off the second, with the ball following him like a deranged stalker. Off the third, it tailed in, McCullum’s bat came down and his off stump departed. So did Starc in a different direction, chased by delirious team-mates. The G raised itself to a roar. New Zealand 1 for 1.The 1-2
Entering into the batting Powerplay, James Faulkner, Australia’s heavy impact man, stopped New Zealand hearts with a brutal 1-2. First ball of the 35th, Ross Taylor tried to drive a Faulkner slower ball, but nicked it towards Brad Haddin who rolled back years to snap it up. Two balls later, Corey Anderson, New Zealand’s wannabe James Faulkner, was yorked. After a steadying 111-run partnership between Taylor and Grant Elliott, New Zealand went from 150 for 3 to 150 for 5. The last five were to add just 23, and Faulkner’s 1-2 set it off.The brain-fade
An insouciant straight six off his first ball, a creatively carted three over extra cover and Tim Southee looked ready for some freaky hitting. What he will be left with instead is the memory of being the non-striker at the centre of a run-out. Glenn Maxwell, he of the dead-eye, who had fielded the ball, whirled around from short leg and knocked down the stumps with Southee backing up too far. There wasn’t a lot of ground for Southee to cover, but it was enough for Maxwell. Bullseye.The near-missRemove Steven Smith who is Australia’s one-man rescue mission in all formats, and every team believes they are foot in the door. New Zealand’s night turned morose when they got the ball past him and onto his stumps but still didn’t dislodge. The bails that is. Matt Henry got Smith to play awkwardly across on the backfoot and had the ball trickle onto the stumps. Henry threw up his arms, in celebration, Smith whirled around to check where the ball had gone. It had struck the stumps gently and didn’t shift the bails. Heads clutched at all around, including the batsman.The showstopperMichael Clarke is Showbizz in Australian cricket green and gold. He arrived at the crease, immediately surrounded by New Zealand fielders, blocking, leaving and trying to keep out of trouble against Henry, Southee and Trent Boult who smelt an opening. Then after 18 balls of being Mr Stoic, he could hold it back no longer. This was his last night in ODI cricket, this was the New Zealand bowling with very little behind them. Henry went full and wide and Clarke threw his bat at it, nicking one overslips to a vacant boundary.

he ECB’s announcement of the Women’s Cricket Super League dazzles upon first glance and appears full of potential but is still somewhat fuzzy on the detail

Melinda Farrell19-Jun-20151:42

Women’s Super League targeting world stars

The Impressionist painters’ greatest triumph was to perfect the art of creating a picturesque scene, when viewed from a distance, that transformed into a myriad of indistinct dots and dashes when examined up close.In a similar way, the ECB’s announcement of a new domestic T20 competition for 2016 – the Women’s Cricket Super League – dazzles upon first glance and appears full of exciting potential but is still somewhat fuzzy on the detail.Of course, the initial announcement – what the ECB’s Head of Women’s Cricket, Clare Connor, heralded as “the most significant development for women’s cricket in this country for a very long time” – is just that, an opening gambit.After a lengthy consultation period, both financial and operational, there are now calls for expressions of interest and the ECB expects to appoint a general manager to oversee the tournament within the next two months.But exactly what that tournament will look like remains somewhat unclear, although it will almost certainly dramatically increase earning and playing opportunities for female players, both in England and abroad, and the ECB hopes it will lead to a game-wide structural change that will improve women’s cricket from the grass roots up.What we do know is that six teams will compete and those teams will contain an even spread of centrally contracted England Women players and a maximum of two foreign imports.The sides will play in an IPL or CPL style window, with the first WCSL tournament to run during a 16 to 18-day period next August.And in 2017 and 2018 funding from the ECB will increase when the T20 competition is supplemented by a 50 over version of the WCSL, likely to run over the duration of the season.But whether these teams will represent single counties, amalgamated county bids, universities, businesses, or even football clubs is unclear. Connor says the WSCL “hosts” – the word franchise is studiously avoided – could be any organisation that meets the required standards in facilities, training, operations and community engagement.”We’ve got to be really ambitious with this project and the impact it can have on sporting communities, on the opportunity for girls in schools and clubs and universities,” said Connor. “And part of the expression of interest process for the WCSL host which kicks off at the end of the month will be for them to prove how hosting a Super League team, and working with the ECB on the project, will inspire growth and attract new players, new fans, and hopefully, eventually, new commercial partners and really grow the reach of the women’s game.”Much of the £3m invested by the ECB over the first four years of the competition will go towards meeting operational, marketing and media costs and, in an historic development, there will be a combined total of 250,000 pounds in prize money – a hugely significant amount in a game where only a handful of players can make a living.

“What will be tricky I suppose is if the Surrey Strikers, for example, decide that they want to pay each of their players £10,000 but the other five can’t pay a penny”

But, again, the details of how that prize money and the ECB grants will be split between hosts and players are less concrete.The ECB plans to ring fence funds to pay for match fees, player payments and contributions to overseas players and no decision has been made on whether to pay players who are already on central contracts or if a salary cap will be introduced.”What I don’t think we know at this stage is what the appetite is going to be within the six to pay players,” Connor said.”What will be tricky I suppose – but it’s a free market – is if the Surrey Strikers, for example, decide that they want to pay each of their players £10,000 but the other five can’t pay a penny. Those are the things we’re going to have to work through as the process unfolds.”It’s hardly a small issue. Such questions have recently caused angst between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketer’s Association as planning continues for the launch of the Women’s Big Bash League later this year, a competition the ECB will be watching carefully.The WBBL will mirror the men’s competition, which gives the Australian version a significant head start when it comes to brand recognition and marketing, but while CA appears keen on the idea of double-headers, partly to maximize broadcasting opportunities, Connor is not convinced the same approach will work in England.”It doesn’t help when the teams don’t tally,” said Connor. “So it might not be a huge success to have double headers with men’s T20 Blast games for example. I think we need to do some more research.”A lack of clarity surrounds the question of where the competition fits in with the ECB’s current broadcasting deal with Sky, who will become the first television broadcaster of a women’s Test in August, when England Women face the Southern Stars in the Women’s Ashes, although securing a broadcaster and sponsorship are two of the ECB’s major goals.Could the time even have come for regular women’s cricket at Lord’s?•Jeremy DurkinQuestions also surround the future involvement of Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands in county cricket, with the suggestion they could be phased out by 2017 or 2018 and, along with creating the WCSL, the ECB plans to completely overhaul the structure of women’s grassroots cricket and create a stronger pyramid structure.But while the details remain somewhat Monet-esque, the creation of any competitive shop-window for the world’s best female players, who desperately need more high quality competition, is a giant step forward. And the creation of two such tournaments in one year, on either side of the world, would have been considered a pipe dream just a few years ago.It’s two years since the ECB awarded central contracts to elite female players, and just one year since the England Women’s team broke ground by gaining stand-alone sponsorship.And while those developments made things a little easier at the top, the prospect of a thriving, semi-professional, televised women’s domestic competition is, indeed, a dazzling picture.

How New Zealand crafted a 32-run win to square the T20I series

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Aug-2015South Africa’s first breakthrough came in the sixth over when Kagiso Rabada dismissed Williamson for a 17-ball 25•Getty ImagesThe home side struck again three overs later when legspinner Eddie Leie removed Tom Latham to reduce New Zealand to 70 for 2•AFPGuptill, however, kept going and brought up his sixth T20I half-century in 30 balls•Getty ImagesBut after Guptill was dismissed for a 35-ball 60 in the 12th over, the visitors seemed to lose their way. James Neesham and Colin Munro chipped in with handy cameos, but Rabada came back in the 19th over to dismiss them both and finish with 3 for 30. South Africa gave away only 12 runs in the last two overs as New Zealand finished with 177 for 7•AFPSouth Africa’s chase was dealt early blows when Mitchell McClenaghan and Adam Milne dismissed openers Morne van Vyk and Hashim Amla in the third and fourth overs respectively•AFPAs usual AB de Villiers began aggressively, launching a few big hits•AFPHe was, however, sent back by Nathan McCullum in the seventh over, James Neesham taking a well-judged catch•Associated PressFirst Rilee Rossouw and then Farhaan Behardien, who made 36 off 27 balls, played useful hands, but New Zealand’s sharpness with the ball and in the field resulted in the home side falling 32 runs short of the target. Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum and Ish Sodhi took two wickets apiece•AFP

While the franchise system might seem impractical, splitting the T20 Blast into two divisions could be a win-win situation for the ECB and the counties

Freddie Wilde27-Aug-2015Amid the fervour of the debate about the future structure of England’s domestic T20 competition it is easy to forget what brought us to this point. To forget, just for a moment, quite why we are talking about it. What should the game be trying to achieve?Since T20 cricket was introduced by the ECB in 2003, the role and purpose of the format has been revolutionised by the commercial success of the IPL, which has alerted the rest of world to the immense possibilities presented by domestic T20.No longer is it merely about growing the sport within local populations and financially assisting poor and threatened counties. Domestic T20 cricket is now also about growing the sport via multimillion-dollar broadcast deals, by attracting global interest and establishing an international identity.While in the not-so-distant past domestic cricket was seen as little more than a necessary component of the broader national and international macro-economic system, domestic T20 is now a legitimate commercial entity in itself.Of course it is important to remain realistic about how closely the IPL’s successes can be replicated elsewhere, given the unique size and nature of India’s market, but the Big Bash League in Australia and Caribbean Premier League in the West Indies have proven that domestic T20 cricket of a similar genre can succeed outside of India.Notably, the most transferable legacy of the IPL has been the value of playing a domestic competition in a single block, one match at a time, and having every match televised. For leagues in their infancy this sort of scheduling generates ease of access, understanding and association with players, teams and results, making the league more approachable to new fans on television – the sport’s biggest market – subsequently driving the broadcasting and advertising revenue upwards.The couch is the new grandstand and the structure of leagues such as the IPL, BBL and CPL reflect that. Of course, that is not to say fans at the grounds need be neglected. At the very least – and most cynical – full grounds enhance the television viewing experience but more simply there remains an obligation to provide for those in attendance. The BBL, in partnership with sports sponsorship and marketing firm PCG, has recognised and fulfilled this better than most, placing huge importance on the “in-ground experience”. An emphasis on TV does not mean the live viewer needs to be compromised.By old measures, England’s domestic T20 competition, the NatWest T20 Blast, is not a bad competition at all; in fact, it is rather good – it is a respectable standard of cricket, attracts decent attendances and boosts the finances of counties. In England at least, it deserves more media attention. But by new measures it is nowhere near as good as it could and should be, and is certainly not a competition in accordance with the ECB’s financial strength and position in the world game.It is revealing of the ECB’s modest, albeit worthy, ambitions for the current format that while the original Twenty20 Cup in 2003 was designed to attract new fans to cricket, the structure of the T20 Blast was predicated on a 2012 survey largely of existing cricket fans. A decade after launching T20 to grow the game, the ECB appeared to have given up trying.Freddie WildeThe survey found that fans preferred a regular day on which most T20 matches were played – what became known as “appointment to view” – so that they could plan and budget for attending. Subsequently in both 2014 and 2015, 87 of the 126 group matches were played on Friday nights throughout the season, and in both 2014 and 2015 record aggregate attendances were set. For many county chief executives, the link between appointment to view and a growing tournament has been made.The cost of those record attendances via appointment to view has been the inhibiting of the T20 Blast for broadcasters. Logistically, financially and commercially only one match can be realistically televised at any one time. Bulking matches together on Friday nights limits choice.While many counties are understandably likely to laud two consecutive T20 Blast seasons of record aggregate attendances, to focus solely on attendances would be missing the point.In an age in which it is estimated that as much as 80% of cricket’s global revenue comes from broadcasting rights and less than 10% from gate receipts, that just 25% of the 126 T20 Blast group matches in 2014, and 22% of the 126 group matches in 2015 were televised shows just how significantly the ECB are selling themselves short under this current structure.Establishing a significant fan base for a competition in which 75% of matches take place away from television cameras is nigh-on impossible in the modern world. We live in an age in which if it isn’t on TV, either live or on replay, then it may as well never have happened. The County Championship has suffered from that for years.Of course, any competition will still almost certainly be hidden behind a subscription service for UK viewers, on either Sky Sports or BT Sport, but here the ECB can claim to be prisoners of circumstance. Innovations to have occasional matches broadcast free to air should be explored but to expect much more is simply unrealistic.The T20 Blast in its current form does not permit every match to be televised•NatWestThe real difficulty the ECB has faced is that regardless of scheduling, with 18 first-class counties in the T20 Blast, the competition is simply too large for every match to be televised.”Franchises” – in this context meaning essentially a competition between eight, nine or ten city teams based at Test match grounds to be played as well as the existing T20 Blast – is a widely touted solution. However, it is almost impossible to imagine that there is enough time and appetite for two T20 competitions not played parallel. Also, how would the county competition survive such belittlement as a second-tier tournament? Even now players are complaining they are weighed down by a non-stop schedule. The knock-on effects on the County Championship and the county system in general, not just imbued with history, but so important in underpinning a successful England Test team, would be drastic.While it is generally accepted that 18 teams is too many for a successful televised T20 league, it would be counter-intuitive to essentially hasten T20 cricket’s demise at nine county grounds by the misconceived development of a format that originated with the need to grow the game and support county finances as its primary purpose.Far from English cricket’s structure of 18 first-class counties representing its greatest weakness, as many would have you believe, it is arguably its greatest strength, embodying breadth of infrastructure, facilities and talent possibly unparalleled in the world game. It should be safeguarded and celebrated if it can.Two divisions of nine, preferably based on merit, with promotion and relegation, or if not, based on Test and non-Test grounds without promotion and relegation, would preserve gate receipts from T20 for all 18 counties, while allowing the top division to be aggressively marketed and sold to broadcasters.The second division could perhaps be broadcast live and in full online. Revenue could and should be shared equally. A block format would probably see standards raised, with specialisation encouraged and training concentrated.Admittedly a block format would leave both leagues more susceptible to damage by periods of prolonged poor weather but no solution is perfect and this might be as close as English cricket can get. The advantages should not be blithely waved aside.

There was the excitement of being part of history, but this fan in Adelaide is doubtful if he will be in favour of day-night Tests. Plus, he could not sight the ball well

Aaron Owen 28-Nov-2015Choice of game
I’m in Adelaide, and a free ticket didn’t hurt my chances of attending either. Sure, the match being the first day-night Test added a little novelty, but I would have gone whatever time the game was played.Gut feeling – and note, many of my cricket predictions have been dismal failures so far, just like Shaun Marsh’s Test career – is that this match won’t need a day five. So confident and self-assured I am, that I’ve made other plans for Tuesday.Team supported
A younger Aaron would scold and chastise adult me for this, but I don’t mind who the winner is nowadays . I want the clichéd ‘cricket to be the winner’ outcome. If Williamson, Taylor, Boult and Co can produce a win, good on them: one-all after three matches wouldn’t be unfair to either side.Key performer(s)
Opener Tom Latham provided a slow and steady spine to the New Zealand innings and the Australian bowlers shared the wickets. Though Mitchell Starc’s ankles not holding up well may have denied him a five-for, there was no real key performance or performer.Things I’d have changed about the match
I would have liked to see more of Kane Williamson, but from my first live, though short-lived, viewing of him I am already keen for New Zealand’s next visit to Adelaide.Had the game been a regular day Test, the cool 22°C would have been near perfect viewing weather. Given that play went on till 9.25pm and the breeze was up in the evening, I sincerely regretted going for shorts over jeans. I won’t make the same mistake on day two.The interplay you enjoyed
Though early in his captaincy career, Steven Smith’s bowling changes and thinking in the field is good. While Michael Clarke threw the ball around in a seeming effort to be the inspired changer of bowlers, Smith’s mixing up of bowlers and their ends appeared more natural and logical. Bringing Lyon on early – and he sure did get some extra unexpected bounce that helped him surprise and prize a couple of New Zealand wickets – was testament to Smith’s understanding of the pitch and conditions.I liked that Smith bowled a couple of overs as well. Though a part-time spinner now and as captain he may suffer from not wanting to over-bowl himself, I hope this is a portent of his ability to take the ball and game into his own wrists if and when he feels appropriate.Filling the gaps
As was logical, the breaks were reversed in order, with the 20-minute tea break coming at the end of session one, while the 40-minute interval – dinner, not lunch – followed session two.At 4.08 pm, during the tea break, a short video tribute paid respect to Phillip Hughes on the first anniversary of his death, the time corresponding with him being the 408th Australian Test representative.There was a tribute to Phillip Hughes at 4.08 pm•Getty ImagesWow moment
In a day of no big scores, five-fors, brilliant catches or run-outs, I would call something I did the wow moment: arriving at the ground before gates opened and lining up ready to bolt up to the Hill and secure three seats and hold them for two fellas, Gordon and Tony. I put my ‘game face’ on and all that pre-season cardio training held me in good stead, as I ran from the gates and secured a top spot for us under the grand fig trees on a shaded bench seat to ourselves, with an unencumbered view just to the right of the pitch behind the bowler’s arm.Shot of the day
Tim Southee’s six hoicked well into the bottom tier of the eastern stand. Not only the first pink-ball six hit in international cricket, but a crowd catch worthy of many Youtube views. The holder positioned himself well, took the high grab, held on tight while falling to the ground, emerged with ball safely in hand and triumphantly threw it back and beamed while the surrounding fans and erupting crowd helped him feel the glory of his moment in the sun (or evening light, more accurately) deserved.Crowd meter
Apparently a sell-out. The stands were not packed out to the top row, but a crowd of 47,000 odd on a weekday is not a shabby figure. I did spot some Bacchanalian Hill drinkers receiving kindly police escorts from the ground later in the evening, but for the most part the audience maintained a happy and energetic feel.Again, with no big scores or devastating bowling spells, the positive vibe may have had as much to do with it being at a landmark game as for the cricket played. The biggest cheer came for the recalled Peter Siddle when he took his 200th Test wicket. A player of intense and constant effort deserved that kind of respect.Enhanced viewing
I took with me my usual cricket kit – not bats and pads and gloves – but lollies, watermelon and grapes, chicken salad, Gatorade and book – this time, . I may read the follow-up, , next.I should have taken my glasses, and will for the next two days I am attending. Perhaps I’m getting old, perhaps it was the pink colour, but man, that ball was hard to spot.Overall
The quality of the cricket was nothing outstanding. The experience of being there for the first day of the first match of its kind will be memorable, but probably not for the best of reasons.Marks out of 10
6 on 10. I was excited to be there. But the cricket played was nothing special. Plus not sighting the ball well. And I didn’t like seeing players dressed in white at night. I suspect television audiences are going to enjoy this new format more than those in live attendance.Good on the administration for trying something different, but if the only positive effect is garnering more television ratings, I doubt I will be a convert.

In high-pressure World T20 matches, these bowlers used their cunning to get the better of batsmen

Nishi Narayanan29-Feb-2016Umar Gul
5 for 6 v New Zealand
The Oval, 2009
In a must-win match, you can expect magic from Pakistan. Gul’s wizardry came via reverse swing and yorkers, flattening New Zealand for 99, and giving him the first five-for in T20Is. A superb catch by Shahid Afridi gave Gul his first wicket, but he needed little help for the rest: Peter McGlashan was yorked lbw, Nathan McCullum’s leg stump expelled, James Franklin’s middle stump pegged back, and Kyle Mills offered a simple catch to cover off a legcutter.Sunil Narine: superstar support act•Getty ImagesSunil Narine
3 for 9 v Sri Lanka
Final, Colombo, 2012
Given Marlon Samuels and Darren Sammy’s performances in the match, Narine’s 3 for 9 was at best a supporting act, but it was one that put pressure on a line-up comfortable against offspin. In his first over, he beat Kumar Sangakkara three times. He then picked up Mahela Jayawardene, the top scorer, and had Nuwan Kulasekara, caught at the boundary just when he was threatening to take the game away from West Indies.You just can’t get past Lasith Malinga on his day•AFPLasith Malinga
5 for 31 v England
Pallekele, 2012
England, the unlikely world T20 champions, were facing the world’s best bowler in the format, in his territory. It could only go one way: in the space of four balls, in his first over, Malinga took three wickets. He returned in the 14th over, whereupon Jos Buttler hooked one to long leg to give him wicket No. 4. So irresistible was he that top scorer Samit Patel was cleaned up with a full toss, sending England out of the tournament.Dale Steyn: no choke here•Getty ImagesDale Steyn
4 for 17 v New Zealand
Chittagong, 2014
With South Africa needing to defend 29 in the last three overs to remain in the hunt for a semi-final spot, the jokes came thick and fast. Steyn took a wicket in the 18th, but Luke Ronchi and Ross Taylor eased the pressure with three fours in the 19th, which meant New Zealand needed seven off the final one. Steyn returned, and his over went: W, 0, 0, 4… three runs needed from two balls… W, run out.Rangana Herath turned a walk-in-the-park chase into a nightmare for New Zealand•Getty ImagesRangana Herath
5 for 3 v New Zealand
Chittagong, 2014
Chasing 120 with Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum in your batting line-up? No sweat. But wait, here’s Herath. His rocket throw runs out Guptill, and after that show of athleticism, he falls back to plain old flight, big turn, and deception with faster ones. New Zealand are 30 for 5 and Herath still has an over to go. When he returns, he runs out Kane Williamson and takes another wicket. “What I realised was, we needed wickets, and I put the ball in the right place,” he says. So crafty.

Since the retirement of Sri Lanka’s big two batsmen there has been a lot of talk about what the new-look line-up needs to do, but the end product has been harder to find

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-May-2016″Will anybody stay to play?”In July 2014, when Mahela Jayawardene announced his retirement, Angelo Mathews found himself asking Jayawardene if he would stay. “I tried to convince him to continue,” Mathews said at the time. “But his mind was made up.”Much has been made of the runs and the experience Jayawardene took into retirement with him, but in his case, a keener loss was felt. Kumar Sangakkara was the greater Test batsman. But maybe having believed the press about his statuesque gait and features, Sangakkara often cut a motionless figure in the outfield, even when Mathews was captaining poorly. Jayawardene had been different. “Mahela’s not afraid to let me know when I have to do something,” Mathews had said. “He gives me so many options.”A few months later, when Sangakkara was considering retirement, Mathews had others do the asking for him. The sports minister and other high-ranking politicians piled on requests for him to stay on. Sangakkara was convinced eventually to extend his Test career a few months, yet that was not long enough for Mathews. Though in his farewell series Sangakkara was more irrigation channel than great batsman, forever redirecting R Ashwin balls to slip, Mathews still had been “on my knees, begging him not to retire.”On tours since, Mathews has called on his openers to stay at the crease. “We need to get through the new ball,” is the constant refrain. As it did today, the call goes unheeded. On the previous tour of England, Dimuth Karunaratne and Kaushal Silva had only once failed to last at least 10 new-ball overs, but since late 2014, scores of 2 for 2, 1 for 1, and 15 for 3 have been more common.Balls out of James Anderson and Stuart Broad’s hands described curves in the Headingley air, but from the top order, only Kusal Mendis received an unplayable delivery. Karunaratne wafted at a straightening ball, and a grazing edge was found. Silva’s edge was similarly thin, but was to a rearing short ball. Ten for no loss slipped to 12 for 3 in minutes. Mathews strode quickly and purposefully into crisis again. Will anybody stay to play?Dinesh Chandimal is a player, but is not often a stayer, needing to feel bat on ball early in the innings, always seeming tetchy when he is boundary-less for long. He and Mathews had seemed set for a reviving stand, until Chandimal prodded at a wider ball – the first after tea. Another edge was found and taken.Lahiru Thirimanne has had the opposite problem. He has soaked up 2520 balls in Test cricket, and is yet to reach 1000 runs, usually playing himself into holes in his innings, rather than into form or runs. He is one of the few Mathews has encouraged to play, so he can stay. “On a difficult pitch you have to score runs where you can, because eventually a good ball will get you out,” Mathews had often said through the home series in 2015. During that time, Thirimanne contributed scores like 10 off 45 and 12 off 47. In his defence, the hole at Headingley was of his team-mates’ making, but still, he batted out 60 dot balls, and couldn’t save his team from the follow-on.The bowlers will sympathise with Mathews, so often having to strap on pads and helmets soon after having delivered long spells, but fans at home have begun to see him as the one competent man in their top order. Those fortunate enough to be spared by this week’s floods and landslides sat watching late into the evening, finding threads of hope in the memories of 2014’s impossible English heists. That series seems like faraway music now: the Sanga-Mahela duet at Lords, Mathews’ roaring notes to follow. In the music’s place, over the past 18 months, and today, there is now only a cacophony of nicks and edges.”We have to look at the technical flaws in our games,” Rangana Herath said of Friday’s Headingley collapse. “There were some occasions when there were flaws against the fast bowlers. The series has just started. I trust that we will fix the problems and progress quickly.”It is a promise that, like Mathews’ pleas to team-mates, has been often heard. For Mathews’ own part, he got his ugly defence in order, hit 34 runs, batted out 61 balls, and was given out lbw on the 62nd. He had actually been struck outside the line, which is a fact he should have known, because he was consciously moving across the stumps in the balls leading up to the dismissal. But the raise of Rod Tucker’s finger prompted only a cursory check with his batting partner, and Mathews strode off even quicker than he arrived.As another collapse-spectacular occurred, on Friday, even Mathews didn’t stay to play.