South Africa’s Johan Botha bowls a delivery while Australia’s Ricky Ponting looks on during their One Day International series match at the MCG in Melbourne, Friday, Jan. 16, 2009. AAP Image/Joe Castro
I have never been more disinterested in a one-day series. Australia wins, Australia loses, who cares? Craig White scores runs, Nathan Hauritz takes wickets. Big deal!
This is a crowded time of the sports year and the care factor for these games is lower than Kyle Sandilands’ approval rating.
All and sundry have acknowledged the demise of the 50 over game.
Let’s face it – when it came onto the scene, the shortened form of the game was fresh and exciting. Chris Tavare was the poster boy of Test cricket and you would hear gasps from the crowd if there was a four before lunch on the first morning of a Test match.
But then one day cricket shook things up. Fine.
But just because you had fun with something 20 years ago doesn’t mean you are going to have fun with it now. The Nintendo 64 or Sega Saturn is at the back of the closet for a reason, and if you look really well, you could probably find a Game & Watch in there as well.
Would I waste my time with any of these when I have a Wii, Xbox and PS3 waiting for me? No way!
That isn’t to say I’m not going to miss parts of the 50 over a side game.
I already miss the triangular series. I loved the old school version when the two neutrals played on the Saturday and then one of them backed up for the Sunday.
They were fun.
I’m going to miss the wicketkeepers appealing for a catch when they are trying to con the umpire into not paying a wide.
No longer will I be able to fall asleep in front of the telly watching a day-nighter from the WACA and wake up to see that there is an episode of Bonaza on.
Good times!
I liked the feeling when leaving work at 1 in order to be at the SCG in order for the 2.20pm start.
Most of all I will miss those days when it’s raining and they show classic games. I remember one particular wet summer when they showed a lot of the early years of World Series Cricket.
That was cool.
There were moments I will remember forever. Michael Bevan hitting a four off the last ball of the match, Allan Lamb hitting 18 from the last over of the match, Trevor Chappell bowling underarm, the Phil Simmons wicket dance and Steve Waugh taking a catch behind the sightscreen at the MCG are all great memories from a bygone era.
They will be missed. Why wouldn’t they? But that’s the price we have to pay for progress.
adam
Guest
so why the pic of bakkies botha ?
Stellenbosched
Guest
As a South African who lived through the agony of isolation and the ecstasy of re-admission I have to say that those running sport in general are killing the goose. My two favourite sports are rugby and cricket. The length of both these seasons in South Africa have been extended year in and year out. The rugby now starts with the Super 14 at the end of Feb and the last Springbok tour match is into December. Way too much!!! Add to this the cricket season stretching over 9 months and then include satellite offerings and I have to say that I am turning off watching sport. It now becomes easier to get in a huff if you feel the ref is biased and then turn off the TV. Who decided that a 15Th team is needed for the Super 14? We should never have gone beyond the Super 12 in my opinion. Nothing in abundance can continue to inspire and motivate. It is the way of humans, and I am really worried about my apathy towards sport.
Ben J
Guest
David, I agree completely, Bonanza should have been on much earlier.
AndyS
Guest
They just have to make it mean something again. Who cares once the Tests are over? If they'd played these matches leading up to the Ashes they would be watched and analysed to death as an indicator of form etc. Instead, it is just the kids having a hit once the grown-ups have retired to the shed for a beer.
Timmuh
Guest
That Cameron White, or Craig for that matter, can score runs shows how pointless limited overs cricket - either 20 or 50 - really is.The guy shouldn't be playing VCA first grade.
davido
Guest
Yes the end is nigh. One day I might be able to say I saw the first and last game of a sport that lived and died.
sheek
Guest
Greg, Insanity, or is it habit? Maybe a combo of both!
Chop
Roar Guru
I do agree that there is to much meaningless ODI cricket played, but I don' t think it is dead yet. The expansion of T20 will certainly impact on the amount of ODI cricket being played, but hopefully in a good way. It may mean a reduction of ODI cricket limiting it to an add on to test match series with a t20 or two thrown in as well.
Greg Russell
Roar Guru
Sheek, if you are "bored as hell with ... cricket generally", then how on earth do you rouse yourself to watch rugby, especially at the international level? Cricket may have its problems, but in comparison with rugby's current problems ...
sheek
Guest
Brett, I've referred to it several times in regards to rugby union - the de Beers diamond 'artificial scarcity' principle. It's been working a treat for them for over 100 years! BTW, listened to that first ever ODI in January 1971, on Radio Australia, while on school hols in PNG. And followed every ball of the first WC in England 1975. Was also one of the fans of WSC 1977-79, much to the horror of my dad & other 40s plus folk. But I'm over one day cricket now..... bored as hell with it, & cricket generally.
Greg Russell
Roar Guru
Bit of a Freudian slip from David in the opening line: Craig White was an Australian and a decent cricketer (and Darren Lehmann's brother-in-law), but he played for England. My interest in this tournament has been to see how a weak Australian side performs. I mean, Watson, Paine and Cameron White - has Australia ever fielded a weaker top 3 in any form of international cricket? And yet the team is 3-0 up. When I wrote last week that Michael Clarke should take over as Australian captain, most people were of the opinion that "Mr Lara Bingle" (as some called him) couldn't even captain a dinghy. Well from my perspective he's doing very well in this series, just as, in hindsight, he did bloody well to lead an understrength Australian side to victory over the future T20 world champions (Pakistan) in the UAE earlier this year. It's also been interesting to look at Tim Paine. No offence intended, but he's a kid (does he even need to shave?), and we desperately need Haddin back. Who would have thought a year ago that Haddin would become such a key Australian player? Finally, it's been interesting to see a new look bowling attack take shape from old elements: Lee, Bracken, Johnson and Hauritz have been around for a while, but my guess is that they are playing together for the first time, and they look to be very complementary and effective to me. No doubt someone will nitpick that this is a weak Pom side - granted. But they are at home, they keep winning the toss, and they are the team that won the Ashes. So for us to be 3-0 up is a top effort. There really is some pressure on the returning Ponting to maintain the rage, otherwise even more serious questions will be asked about both his captaincy (Clarke having done well as fill-in) and his batting (White the successful fill-in). It's always interesting to see great cricketers under pressure, because they will either respond in a great way or else ...
Brett McKay
Guest
Wally, Sheek has just added you to his list of disciples with your use of "less is more" above....
wallythefly
Guest
I find it hard to get into both limited over forms of the game but I think the problem with it partly stems from the fact that there are just sooooo many games. Surely a less is more approach for T20 and ODIs would make things a little more interesting...
FIsher Price
Guest
Worth thinking about, I think: there have been great and memorable moments in 50-over cricket; there will never be any in T20 'cricket', which is all about exciting spectators.
Brett McKay
Guest
Sheek, no need for apologies, I agree with you completely on the too much cricket front. That's exactly why I say an urgent rethink is needed...
sheek
Guest
Oh, they're playing a One Day tournament at the moment, are they............??? Zzzzzzzzzzz! Yeah, one day cricket used to mean something to me..... once upon a time long ago. Basically (sorry Brett) there IS too much cricket. I would say, as with most sports today, there's too much quantity & too little quality.
Malibu77
Guest
Other memorable moments for me:- * the Miracle at Mohali (1996 world cup quarter-final West Indies unbelievable collapse to the Aussies) * 1999 world cup semi-final tie between Aussiies and South Africa * the 434 vs 431Jo'burg run feast when Ponting's brilliant 140 was made to look pedestrian by Herschelle Gibbs 175 (he would have made 250 if not dismissed when he was !) * the entire 1987 Aussies world cup campaign - the start of the golden era of Australian cricket.
Joel
Guest
It's been good to see CAMERON White score some runs, unless that was a call on how irrelevant ODI cricket has become?
Brett McKay
Guest
I mostly disagree David, but not totally Matt. There is no doubt a rethink is needed, but I'll maintain until I'm blue in the face that there has to be something in the gap between Tests and T20. If that urgent rethink means that pointless OD series are dropped, and instead we just have three ODIs and a T20I before or after a Test series (plus World Cups, obviously) then that would be fantastic. If the rethink determines that moving to 40 overs is the go, then I'll live with that too, but we can't afford to drop the one-day game completely. In my opinion, dropping the one-day game would have a far bigger impact on Test cricket than the emergence of T20..
Matt0931
Guest
I totally disagree. 50 over cricket still has a huge place in world cricket. Just because a few Aussies back home don't want to get up at some crazy time is no reason to abandon such a great format of the game. I live in London and have done so for 9 years now and love going to one-dayers to watch the Aussies play- it makes me feel like I'm back home especially when there are lots of other Aussie supporters close by. And what's more, all the matches so far have all but sold out! Come and have a moan about one-dayers being out of touch when the grounds are empty and I might listen to you. Personally I'm not that great a fan of T20 crciket...not yet anyway. Yes it is exciting to see your big hitters knock them over the stands but the skill factor of 50 over cricket of being able to put on enough runs whilst still holding onto wickets is lost in T20 where it doesn't matter as much if a player gets out for only say 20 runs and the idea of strategy is all but nonexistant. England has now dropped 50 over cricket from their domestic schedule, and I guess Aus will follow suit after the next world cup and I think we will see a 40 over game emerge from the ashes...this could still be quite interesting but for the game as a whole, and especially for the spinners, this will be a sad day. Those middle 10 overs when spinners shine and the batting team is either made or broken can be some of the most important and I will miss them.