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View Full Version : Why world test cricket sucks by comparison...



Fishman Dan
8th April 2005, 11:45 AM
...by comparison to the Australian team. There could be a great test unfolding in NZ, but i reckon it will fizzle out...

Here's the story so far - after NZ scored 561, Sri Lanka came back with 498 of their own. Sri Lanka then ran through the NZ'ers, currently 8/185 they are about 250 in front with 40 overs left in the match.

A great one-day scenario. Declare now, put the Sri Lankan's in to bat chasing about 6/over, and see if you can't get 3 or 4 quick wickets in a run chase. The sad fact is, i doubt Sri Lanka would have a crack even if Flemming sent them in - which he won't.

These are the decisions that Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh made, putting faith in the bowling attack, and more often than not coming up trumps.

markTHEblake
8th April 2005, 12:06 PM
These are the decisions that Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh made, putting faith in the bowling attack, and more often than not coming up trumps.

Taylor and Waugh would never do that. Those two never declared until they batted long enough to put the opposition out of the game completely, and said so many times.

but then your right, the bowling attack still came up trumps more often than not!

possibly the only time Taylor didnt bat long enough was when he made 334* - he should have batted at least 2 more sessions.

Andrew
8th April 2005, 03:24 PM
One of the things that really gave Taylor an advantage was very quick scoring, especially on the first day. If a team regularly scores 400 by lunch on the 2nd day it is very hard for any team to save a test unless they attack as well.

Michael Slater's efforts are over shadowed by the success of the current batting line up, but in 50 years time he will be remembered as the main contributing factor to changing the way teams play test cricket. Of course, every test team now have at least one opener that can score a century by tee on the 1st day. (Some teams have 2)

The reason Mark & Steve could declare when the other side had been batted out of the game was because we had the ability to bat a side out of the game. It is no shame declaring when 400 ahead if there is still 5 sessions to play. Many teams in history have been able to do this, but none over such a prolonged time like the Australians at the moment.

Both Taylor & Waugh were reasonably agressive captains that also had very good sides. Clive Lloyd had a great side at his disposal, yet was quite a conservative captain. This was shown to be true many time, especially in his last 2 tests when he had a draw in Melbourne that he should have won & the loss in Sydney by an innings when he let Austrailia bat for 2 days without trying anything or using any imagination.