Goodbye ODI (for now); welcome back Test

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By Will last year, at the end of April Leave a comment on this post

If an ODI was a person, I’d punch him right now. Regular readers and gluttons of this blog will know of my dislike for the shorter format of the game and, after a bloated and absurdly organised World Cup, I’d rather eat my feet than sit through another series. I can stomach a semi-final and a final, though.

If a Test was a person, I certainly wouldn’t punch him and might even offer him a drink. The real cricket of the summer gets underway in (amazingly) just 24 days’ time with West Indies taking on England at Lord’s. Ah, Test cricket: three slips and a gully; a respectable three-and-a-half runs per over; maidens and normal field placings. That’s what we want. One-day cricket, the new kid on cricket’s block, has already reached its shelf life. The five-day game still reigns supreme.

But will West Indies ever get here? Their coach resigned early this morning, their captain a few days earlier and there are no dead-set certain replacements for either position. All this on top of another seemingly endless contract crisis. Fingers crossed they do manage to brush the latest mess under the carpet once more, because the two countries have a rich and fascinating history.

Talking of which…we’ve been beavering away today writing brief series histories all the way back from 1928; 1960 to 1980; 1980-1995 and 1995-2004. I’m clearly biased, but nevertheless feel this is one area Cricinfo really shines as we can link to the Almanack report and our own series page - not to mention every scorecard from every match played between the two countries. That’s pretty damn useful for the fan, I reckon. Have a read and leave your thoughts if you have any.

What are you most looking forward to this summer (anyone who mentions one-dayers will be publicly humiliated)?

Tags: cricinfo, england, one-day-cricket, test-cricket, west-indies, West-Indies-in-England |

Comments to “Goodbye ODI (for now); welcome back Test” Nick wrote:
April 23rd, 2007 at 7.26 pm

England’s retention of the Wisden Trophy, of course! Along with the return of Simon Jones, the rehabilitation of GBH and a couple of centuries from Vaughan.

Will Davies wrote:
April 23rd, 2007 at 7.27 pm

Agreed. What elevates test cricket from merely a form of expert combat (a la baseball) to something higher is the fact that both teams are battling to control the temporality of the game, how long different bits last for, what pace it is played at. Are there any other games in which, entirely unexpectedly, ten minutes can change the character of the subsequent three days?! The closest analogy may be snooker. ODIs, on the other hand, always feel like their outcome is determined by the aggregate skills of the 11 players on each team - a bit like those crap 80s football management computer games, where as you bought better and better players, your results got proportionately better.

Alan R wrote:
April 23rd, 2007 at 8.20 pm

I’m looking forward to seeing the Indian team in person for the first time at the Oval. No ODI’s this summer, though I am planning to see one of the 20/20’s vs. the Windies. A 20/20 obviously lacks the strategic element of a test match, but it’s a good way to spread interest in the game.

By the way, in response to Will Davies, I can’t think of too many sporting events where the phrase “subsequent three days” has much relevance. In American sports the closest analogies are playoff series. In baseball, basketball and ice hockey, there are series where two teams play each other until one team has won four times. There certainly are some logistical considerations to manage in these series. In a baseball they will count the number of pitches thrown by each pitcher to make sure they’re not going to wear him out if they need him again another day. The key strategic decision is when to remove a pitcher who is giving up hits and when to leave him in to try to work through his troubles, and it can affect who is available in subsequent games. I suppose in hockey series the idea is to physically beat up your opponents early and often so that by the later games they’re staggering on the ice. I remember in the mid-90’s Vancouver made a great playoff run after a lackluster season because they were the first to try using hyperbaric chambers to help their players heal faster.

There are also crucial elements of time management in much shorter-lasting events - especially basketball and American football. In an evenly matched basketball game, the final 2 minutes of clock time lasts at least 10 minutes, and it’s like a whole game in itself. In American football, there are times when you have to score quickly, but other times it’s much more advantageous to score slowly.

Henry wrote:
April 23rd, 2007 at 9.27 pm

I’ve been out in the Windies since 12 March and been lucky enough to go to 13 games so far… Wednesday’s semi will be my last before returning to England. It has been fantastic - the atmosphere on Saturday in grenada for the Eng v Windies match was incredible.
But.
I am salivating at the thought of the first ball of the first over at Lord’s on 17th. Nothing beats test cricket. I too hope the Windies gather themselves together in time to bring a good squad over and make for a series as closely-fought as that match in Grenada (though it’s really no good for my nerves).

Emma wrote:
April 23rd, 2007 at 9.36 pm

Would I be shot for mentioning Twenty20? It’s what brought me into the game, so always retains a soft-spot. I’m not a fan of the 50 over game - I even resorted to doing work during a good 15 overs of the Friend’s Provident at the weekend. But as I’m ‘going away’ to Trent Bridge for my Test of the summer, then having a big Final’s day at Edgbaston is going to be a real highlight. Especially as we’ve poached Darren Maddy, which gives us a hope in hell.

Another highlight will be Test selections, not to mention the series. Will Trescothick ever come back? Who will survive of the top order? Who the hell’s going to bowl? Or ‘keep? You can about pencil in Flintoff (decisively not captain) and Vaughan, but that’s about it.

Then there’re the Tests themselves. I’m trying to ignore the millions of Indian ODIs which have resulted in Edgbaston not getting a Test (no, not bitter…) and of course the County Championship. How *are* Middlesex these days, Will? Declaring for 600 and still unable to win a match? Or even stop themselves from being overtaken?

Ceci wrote:
April 23rd, 2007 at 9.58 pm

Am not a very nice person so I want to see bouncers coming hurling down and the umpire NOT indicating a wide….

Ollie wrote:
April 23rd, 2007 at 10.24 pm

Much as I have complained about the endless matches in the World Cup, I have been missing it the last few days. It’s been nice to have cricket available to watch or listen to every day without fail - even if its not my favourite type of cricket.

No Test for me this summer, unless Trent Bridge goes to fifth day and I can scamper down. But I am looking forward to getting plenty of County cricket in. Im aiming to at least see Warne bowl and Langer bat at some point this season.

Will wrote:
April 23rd, 2007 at 10.28 pm

Good point about Warne. I’m looking forward to seeing him at The Oval on Friday

Wraye wrote:
April 23rd, 2007 at 11.58 pm

We overseas beggars can’t be choosers, but I’ll be back in the UK at the end of May for a 2 week holiday. This year I am giving up my usual 1 day pilgrimage to Lords for the full Monty at Headingley. No phone and no mail, buggrit, no kids and no bloody one-dayer home League either. That’s what I am looking forward to - apart from Leicestershire winning the T20 - again! Emma, we will miss Maddy and without Nixon or Broad - gulp!

Kathy wrote:
April 24th, 2007 at 1.03 am

Well, I’m looking forward to the (northern) summer, and the England test team ruining my sleep again â€” 10pm starts, late nights, overtired and ill-tempered the next day… bring it on. Will be interested to see how the new coach and team bed down together, and who the media will decide to pick on next. Well, actually I’m not looking forward to that last bit.

AgainsTTheWall wrote:
April 24th, 2007 at 9.29 am

I know its one-day stuff but top priority is my local side avoiding relegation again - which proceedings I will observe from my usual vantage point at (a very fine) first slip.

Nationally the England selection policy should be of great interest. With a new coach and a roughed up captain I expect a few new faces around the place as they try to pick up way again after the winter debacles. The zeitgeist is right to say cheerio to Harmison, Collingwood, Flintoff and Mahmood and give a decent run to the likes of Key, Broad, Plunkett and Bopara.

Francis Barton wrote:
April 24th, 2007 at 1.05 pm

As always, I can’t wait for the first session of the first day of the first Test of a summer series.

I love that feeling of “the curtain coming up” on a great spectacle; the smell of fresh-cut grass outside the window; the unpredictability of it; the feeling that this is the start of weeks of intrigue, tension, elation and disappointment

But I don’t think anything can surpass the first session of the 2005 Ashes. That was electric.

The next thing I’m looking forward to is Freddie scoring some bloody runs again.

Steven Davies-Morris wrote:
May 18th, 2007 at 7.10 pm

Hallelujah brothers and sisters! Test cricket to the rescue. I’ve had it up to my eyeballs with odious cricket. Right now, if I never see another set of pajamas it will be too soon Hey! I’m a Brit and I’m even excited about India vs Bangladesh test cricket!

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