Sitting watching the final day’s play between Australia and South Africa in the second Test begged the question: who needs Twenty20 when you’re chasing a record total on the final day of a five day epic?
More matches like this and the harbingers of the Test match apocalypse won’t have a leg to stand on.
The fifth day alone had more tension than any limited over match in recent memory. The protracted start as a result of inclement Johannesburg weather had an unsatisfactory draw in the minds of all involved.
They needn’t have worried; the rain and covers disappeared, before South Africa jumped into the ascendancy with some excellent bowling. Michael Clarke was removed by a zipping Philander delivery that jagged between his bat and pad to knock the top of off.
Ponting then attempted to right the ship, but succumbed by pushing hard at a Morne Morkel screamer that flew through to the slips. A long trip home for the Australians seemingly beckoned.
But this is the thing about Test cricket: it is the perfect platform for both pain and elation, and often redemption as well, all in the space of minutes, single balls.
Brad Haddin, so maligned after his awful shot selection in the 47 debacle, kept calm and held things steady, only occasionally reverting to type and attacking.
The crucial difference here was that the balls stayed hit and found the gaps, and he ended with 55, a score that should keep him behind the wickets for at least a few more matches to come.
The wickets kept falling, however, and the result was on a knife-edge. But this was a day for unexpected heroics, and Mitchell Johnson took over when Haddin departed to the faintest of edges off Philander, his 40 not out eventually being the difference between the two sides.
Like Haddin, he kept his nerve while blasting the South Africans whenever they served up anything less than a top quality ball.
It was fitting, however, that the new kid on the block, Pat Cummins, had the final say. After scooping 6-79 in the South African’s second innings (bowling that kept Australia in the match), he strode to the crease with an air of calm, a youthful confidence that was evident to all.
When he skipped forward to attack the spinner Imran Tahir, one just had the feeling that the cards would fall in his favour. And so they did – a well struck four through mid-on bringing about an incredible victory for Australia. (Wasn’t Nathan Lyon happy that he did – the number 11 batsmen was visibly terrified on the edge of the field about the prospect of having to follow Cummins to the middle!).
Some caveats: Graeme Smith’s field placings were far too generous to the hosts throughout the final day. Australia was allowed to nurdle singles across the ground far too easily, managing to keep the scoreboard ticking over and placing pressure back on the South African attack. And the match surely wouldn’t have had its nail-biting finish if the Australian openers had put in the kind of partnership that is expected of them.
The century stand that we saw in the first innings seems, unfortunately, to be an all too rare event for the Watson/Hughes partnership. It is something that the new group of Australian coaching team (and selectors) is going to have to grapple with, and fast.
But they are debates for another day. The crowds at this match were sparse at best, and more the pity because this was a Test for the ages (perhaps for Australians more than South Africans).
However, if Test match cricket continues to be half as gripping as the last five days in Johannesburg have been, the marketing boffins surely won’t have a hard sell bringing the customers – sorry, fans – back to the best form of cricket.
turbodewd
Guest
Well the recent tests were on Aussie FTA TV...yawn. The crowds looked so so. Test cricket has modest appeal to a modest segment.
Brett McKay
Expert
Mark, that's fine, look at the crowd attendance in South Africa, or India, but in doing that, you also have to look at the crowds at Tests in Australia, and in England too. And there's been nothing boring about these two Tests just played in Cape Town and Johannesburg..
Chris
Guest
Mark, crowd figures would back you up, no doubt. But how many truly memorable T20 matches does anyone talk about? I enjoy them 'in the moment', but a couple of days later I've forgotten about it. That's not the case with Test cricket - I could wax lyrical about any number of Test matches I have either attended or watched on TV.
Mark
Guest
Just a couple of points re the crowds from a Joburger. I was at the cricket on Saturday and it was 80-90% full. I would have expected nearly a full house but stupid scheduling means that we were playing our biggest rivals right in the middle of school and university exams. Then on Sunday there was a major bike race in Joburg with loads of roads closed making getting to Wanderers hellishly difficult. And then how many people can take off work just before the main annual holidays to go to the cricket? But quite a few people still came in on Monday afternoon. Added to that parking at Wanderers is a nightmare (something the authorities really need to do something about) and yes test cricket has suffered at the hands of bloody T20 and ODI's and in SA rugby where the Super 15 kicks off so early in the year now. So all in all better scheduling and marketing is required. Nevertheless the interest and following of the match on TV and radio is still big which reminds me - local TV doesn't black out the cricket for the local city like they do in Australia.
Caesar
Guest
What your saying Mark is your not a cricket fan. It would be the equivalent of me saying, rugby league is a bore. Just change the laws to make it like Aussie rules and I will watch it. Sort of defeats the purpose.
adieb9
Guest
I love all forms of cricket. I prefer tests but alas don't have the luxury of travelling interstate for fives days every time there's a match and when was the last time five full days was televised? I'm stuck with whatever is televised on free to air but I'll watch whatever I can get. Crowds are fickle but I reckon as long as there's a Roar commentary happening somewhere, which I love, Test cricket will never die. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Brendon
Roar Rookie
Philadelphia Phillies played 81 home games in a 6 month period during the regular 2011 MLB season and averaged 45,440 people for a total of 3,680,718 people. According to wikipedia the Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies home ground has a capacity 43,651. So basically they sold out 81 matches in a row. Do you think that EVERY game they played was exciting? Sometimes supporting a team and a sport means supporting it when it isn't exciting and brilliant. Not every test series can be India 2001, England 2005 or South Africa 2011. I dont know what it is about cricket fans but we complain more and cannibalise our own sport more than fans of any other sport. I'm glad this 2 match series had good matches but it was only a 2 match series and Australia has now toured South Africa twice without South Africa touring Australia. Plus playing a series during the early part of the Sheffield Shield robs our domestic competition of our national players. Young players are now going through and getting selected without having played against the senior members of the national team.
Mark
Guest
I'm 36, test cricket is a bore. It's not dead, but a bore. Just look at the crowd attendance. You guys are nothing but purists. Bring on the Big Bash!!!!! You guys are lucky 20/20 is around, it will be a cash cow for your zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz fest. The only thing I remember is an 18yr old named Cummings, who apparently played pretty well. 20/20 fans never comment on here about test cricket because it's like bashing your head against a brick wall. Sorry, test cricket is not entertainment for the masses. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
buck
Guest
punter, I too am a fan of the long game only (I'm 34). you're not alone!
Midfielder
Guest
Economics have a term called ... the Law of Diminishing Returns... generally it is defined as ... A point beyond which the application of additional resources yields less than proportional increases in output.... Say you want an ice cream, and you have one .. its tastes great ... then say you have a second ... after say 70 ice creams you don't want to even look at another ice cream for quite a while... Football, Rugby Union, Rugby League, Tennis ... all have national matches but they are limited and for the most part in meaningful tournaments ... OK OK OK both Football & RU play some friendlies ... but overall in meaningful games.. Cricket has the national team in so many games ... the national cricket side has become akin to a club side ....this is where the economics law of Diminishing Return takes effect there is a point where you say I am over this ... 20 / 20 ..ODI ... test matches ... I have got to the stage now were I often just click in at times to see the score ... where years ago I watched every ball... I have been cricked to death by a thousand meaningless games... [OK a thousand is over the top but you get the idea] IMO cricket needs to get behind the shield matches, play the national side less .. maybe then I will return to my past viewing habits... A final note ... India will decide the future of test cricket ... which way they go I don't know ... but the money is in India.
phil osopher
Guest
Test cricket is the ultimate form of the game no doubt. But also no doubt that it is insanely dull when one side dominates, or more accurately, when there is no contest. Its one game that needs competition more than any sport in the world, and when there is it's a fascinating sporting duel. If there's no competition, like that era where Australia whipped everyone, it becomes the dullest sport in the world. You can tell people as much as you like that they aren't right in the head becuase they turn up for t20 match, but it won't change a thing. That's why this is the best Australian team we've had for a long long time. They can burn or rise, you cant tell which, and you get good test games. It seems an obvious correlation but not one folk understand for some reason. Shame that NZ are coming out this year though. Even though Australia are apparently bad, NZ are far worse with no ability to turn it on at all. We'll hear all the hype about the first day at the Gabba, and then be faced with the predictable and dull rogering of the Kiwis. Someone in the Kiwi side will get 100 and that will be written about, the others wil get out for little. Some young Aussie will get a 5 for or more maybe, and someone will get 150, maybe a double. Cricket tragics will like it, and roll in the victory, and analyse who was the best batter, who needs to be dropped etc. But there aren't many of you. In fact the numbers equate to the amount of people who trun up to Sheffield Shield matches. This sort of situation will never make people attend test cricket. The only people attending the NZ tests will be those who just do it anyway to hang out with their yobbo mates as part of their annual summer thing, and of course the big MCG crowd on boxing day who would turn out to watch Bangladesh. If test cricket is to survive, development of the game in Australia should stop - we're good enough naturally to give competition to anyone, and as we know there's more competition when we can crumble - and all development should go into revitalising the other nations, in particular the West Indies, for which cricket desperately needs a dangerous Windies side to woo back the crowds.
Seru
Guest
Test cricket is dead is the biggest myth in wirld sport. The level of interest in test cricket has never been higher, figures regarding radio ratings, Internet traffic for cricket sites regarding live commentary and ball by ball updates are at and all time high and viewership figures thru tv and Internet in the sub continent are at record levels. You can't expect people to turn up at 11.30 on a Wednesday to watch cricket. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Punter
Guest
I have followed cricket all my life, I lost interest in ODI along time ago & even the One day World cups goes on too long, never been interested in 20/20. So it's only Test cricket for me, but I don't think there are many like me out there.
Seano
Guest
I have a massive issue with a 2 match series, it's a joke how exciting would a 3rd test be now? Less odi if it means an extra test. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Matt F
Roar Guru
The quality of test cricket isn't dead, far from it. However those people claiming that it is dead aren't referring to the quality on the pitch, but the lack of people and general interest off of it, at least outside of Australia and England. Though that being said I thought the crowd for the second test was OK on the weekend days.
Chris
Guest
When people say cricket is dead, they're usually talking about the crowd figures, not the quality of the games themselves. And on this criteria, this Test series has simply confirmed it. If administrators are serious about maximising crowds for Test matches, then they need to ensure games start on a Friday for a start. Reducing prices would also help. If they could work out a way of playing into the evening, that would also assist. In locations where summer means long days, perhaps start the games later and run them into the evening. And offer a reduced price if you can only attend the evening session, rather than a full days play.