A total of 66,325 fans had attended Australia’s pink-ball Test against Pakistan by the first session of Saturday’s third day.
This crowd is the highest attendance for any match at the Gabba in a decade and illustrates day-night Test cricket has an encouraging future.
In December 2015 the first day-night cricket Test was played at the Adelaide Oval between New Zealand and Australia.
Despite crowds flocking to the match, twenty New Zealand and Australian players gave the following feedback about the pink ball after the low-scoring affair which the hosts won by three wickets.
– The pink ball did not show similar signs of wear and tear to the red ball (80 per cent).
– The pink ball swung more than the red ball (80 per cent), especially at night.
– The ball was not easy to see when batting or fielding at dusk (70 per cent), and to a lesser extent at night (50 per cent).
– The day/night conditions affected the length of the match (85 per cent).
When the pink ball doesn’t perform like a traditional red ball the characteristics of the game become significantly different, thus raising concerns about the whole concept of a night Test.
Three further night Tests have been played and scores have become higher and more consistent with daytime matches.
Pakistan made 579/3 in a day/night Test against the West Indies in October and reached 450 in the fourth innings against Australia largely dismissing the notion the pink ball is unplayable under lights. All four night Tests have produced results.
What can be done to please both parties? The players aren’t supportive, but the spectators are enchanted?
Like anything new a time of adjustment is required for it to become familiar. Cricket changed when pitches became covered. It changed when eight ball overs were reduced to six ball overs. Protective helmets allowed batsman to play with more abandon.
First class competitions should introduce day-night fixtures into their itineraries to allow players to became better equipped with playing under floodlights.
The pink ball should be subject to consistent player feedback and testing to ensure that it improves and its fair for both batsman and bowlers.
Night time hours are more convenient for spectators. Going to cricket after work is rather more appealing than listening to it on the radio at your desk all day.
More people watching at the ground creates a superior atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the game.
Night cricket allows TV networks to boost their ratings and widen the exposure of the sport.
Embrace change, because it’s better than MasterChef.
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