Test cricket stuck in the dark ages

Pakistan's Mohammad Abbas runs over the shadow of a floodlight at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton in the Test against England

Euthanasia was finally administered in glorious sunshine that was, if nothing else, deeply ironic. Joe Root’s run of six consecutive Test victories as captain was ended by cricket’s oldest enemy of all, with only 134.3 overs made possible over five days because of a combination of rain and bad light. Like most sequels, sadly, this failed to live up to the brilliance of the opening Test in Manchester and we must hope for better when the sides meet again in Southampton on Friday.

A dramatic thunderstorm hit the Ageas Bowl in the early hours on Monday, dropping rain of biblical proportions on an already sodden outfield, rendering it a lake. By the scheduled start of play, the surface water had disappeared but it remained boggy and unfit for play until mid-afternoon — although with a minimum of 41 overs possible on the resumption, there was still enough time left for someone to shine and leave a stamp on this benighted match.

These situations are never easy for men who thrive on competition. With no chance of a result, and without a crowd to entertain, you have to find your own motivation – something that is easier to do when you are young and finding your way in the game, as Dom Sibley, 24, and Zak Crawley, 22, are. Both found solace for a while in the sunnier conditions and batting on a pitch that was, effectively, only two days old they registered a confident second-wicket partnership of 91, the highlight of the day.

Tall and upright, and more inclined to play his shots than Sibley, the 6ft 5in Crawley moved fluently to his third Test half-century from 97 balls. Initially, Mohammad Abbas was forced off his usual metronomic length by Crawley’s reach and when the quicker bowlers dropped short, Crawley scored freely off the back foot – usually a good sign for a Test batsman. When Yasir Shah was introduced, Crawley bopped the leg spinner’s fourth ball to the boundary and was playing with such freedom that you wondered whether he had half an eye on reaching a maiden Test hundred.

Both bowlers had their revenge of sorts, though. Yasir tempted Crawley from his moorings shortly afterwards – Mohammad Rizwan missing a tricky stumping because he was unsighted as the batsman yorked himself – and then, at the start of a second spell, Abbas beat Crawley’s defences to gain a leg-before decision that was upheld on review. Crawley swished his bat in disappointment but he looked like he had enjoyed his stay.

The wily Abbas then slipped one down the leg side and Sibley obliged with a glance to the wicketkeeper. With most bowlers you might think it was a lucky break but, with Abbas, you can be sure it was a dismissal that was planned and delivered to perfection, especially so given Sibley’s earlier dismissals in that area. Ollie Pope was then beaten by a straighter, quicker ball from Yasir, and that the was the last of the skirmishes.

Whether this Test becomes a watershed in attitudes towards weather interruptions remains to be seen, although it is important not to conflate three separate issues that rumbled away over these five days: ground conditions, bad light and the urgency of officialdom to get the game under way. The first you can’t do much about unless you cover the entire playing surface, as they do in Sri Lanka. The others certainly can be brought kicking and screaming into the 21st century. The umpires, solely, determine the state of the ground and it was unfit for the start of play after the storm. The Laws of the game encourage maximisation of play (Law 2.7.1 states: “Conditions shall not be regarded as either dangerous or unreasonable merely because they are not ideal”) but there will always come a point beyond which conditions are unfit.

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Bad light is more open to debate and is a problem the game has to grasp. It is increasingly hard for the public to understand how authorities can invest in floodlights at great expense, which are commonly used in day/night games, but which do not enable play in Test cricket. I cannot recall a situation during my career in which it was so dark that I could not see the ball – and that was without floodlights.

That the regulations allow for greater flexibility than the umpires utilise is true (the regulations state that umpires “may” use light meters and “may” use them to set a benchmark, rather than “must”) but there is a blanket interpretation at present to use light meters to set a benchmark so that they can be fair to both sides. Umpires are reluctant to be flexible for fear of being seen to be unfair and favouring one team.

Ultimately, the ICC will have to move to a point where bad light is simply a non-issue on grounds with floodlights – or find a pink ball that matches up to its red equivalent. They tried to grapple with the issue of playing under floodlights, no matter what, seven years ago, but were constrained by the reluctance of Test captains to play ball. Seven years on, not much has changed except an unwillingness among the general public to accept these kind of situations, especially in the unique circumstances that we find ourselves in.

The final talking point is the urgency, or perceived lack of urgency, from umpires and ground authorities to get cricket under way in a more general sense. On the fourth day, for example, after losing a day to rain and after two hours of preparation by players before the start, play was held up momentarily while sawdust was called for.

It was a very minor thing, but reflects on a game that is too often lethargic when getting play resumed, and on the pace of play more generally. A bit more urgency for paying spectators would be welcome.

THE TIMES