As a teenager, I am often questioned by people about my love of Test cricket.
Whether it’s friends from school or teachers catching me on the cricket websites when I’m meant to be doing work, the questions are frequent. From the comments on how boring it is to the complaints on how long it goes for, I get asked about why I love this game so much.
It’s quite simple. It is the gentleman’s sport. I took my mate to the third day of the Test match here in Adelaide against South Africa last year. A rabid Adelaide United fan, he had never been to a day of Test cricket, his only knowledge was stuff he had learnt off me.
South Africa had hit a boundary and the entire stadium applauded, he looked at me confused, he asked me “Why are they clapping? They’re on the other team”.
I simply answered “It’s Test cricket”.
I’ve grown up in three eras of Test cricket. The Ponting era, the Clarke era and now the Smith era. As a kid I grew up watching Aussie legends like Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Matt Hayden.
There were two players that entertained me like nothing else, Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee. I loved watching the batsmen make runs but watching the fast bowlers run in and bowl with such pace and accuracy was enthralling.
Lee was my idol, I watched every over he bowled, watching every movement. When we played in the backyard I would try to bowl like him and whenever I got my dad or my uncle out I would do his famous chainsaw celebration that I saw so often.
I see Brett Lee as my idol but I see Glenn McGrath as my teacher. Playing junior cricket in the suburbs of Adelaide on immaculate green top pitches is a dream for a fast bowler. I make sure to put every ball on the top of off stump because that’s how the best bowlers do it. Since McGrath it has been Ryan Harris and Josh Hazlewood bowling in this manner.
The Clarke era is most memorable for the 2013-14 Ashes series. That Ashes was the series that cemented my love for Test cricket. The way that Harris would bowl every ball line and length perfect, the way Dave Warner would pick apart the English attack from the first ball.
It was a memorable series for every cricket fan in this country. The third Ashes whitewash of all time.
During the end of the Clarke era and the beginning of the Smith era, something big happened for cricket – the BBL went big. Channel Ten broadcasting every game live and free was massive as previously the competition gained little to no interest, the only problem was that people infatuated with T20 cricket wanted nothing to do with Test cricket.
The number of people complaining about the boring and long games of Test cricket became even more numerous because they had all seen the fast paced, six-filled, action-packed BBL. The BBL, is not cricket at it’s true form and I stand by that statement.
Test cricket is the best form of the best sport in the world, that is something that many people can debate me on but I will always stand by that statement. There is no sport in the world that has the quality that Test cricket has, it is impossible for any other sport to compete.
If you have read this entire article, thank you. I am just a 14-year-old boy who has a passion for writing, this means a lot to me especially since this is my first piece.
Garry White
Roar Pro
Top article and nicely written. From a fellow Test Cricket lover way over in England. Keep writing and sharing your thoughts. I was an avid writer until I left school and then let it slip. Just recently picked it up again after 20 years. The Roar is a great place to get your message out there...
davSA
Guest
Test and 1st class cricket is the only cricket the rest is chewing gum.
davSA
Guest
Lovely post Sheek...... and ikejeffo I am astonished at the maturity and fluency of your article. Your folks must be real proud of you . Keep it up . I am looking forward to the next one already. As for the 1970 SA team sheek , they were quite a side . Bill Lawries side was not a bad team at all , just sus the team sheet out . It was very painful for us to not be able to see them tested against allcomers over time but it was what it was . I have many heroes from that era and watched most of them play but my real lasting idol was the good doctor Ali Bacher .But not for his cricket as much as his admin abilities. I remember at a big Currie Cup game at the Wanderers the crowd baying him very vocally to bring out a rebel side . We had obviously got wind of that possibility . I can also tell you that I clearly saw the distress on his face , I was standing close by adding my voice. The rest is history but years later after isolation in an interview he confirmed his distaste for the rebel teams primarily due to what he foresaw what damage it would do to world cricket. As the head of SA Cricket he established structures both developmentally and admin wise that set up cricket today to be what it is i.e.. Inclusive of all South Africans and largely free of the political baggage of other sports . A real hero indeed.
mattyb
Guest
David's advice to young fans is to practice your catching by throwing balls at jagged rocks and not going in for dinner until you have broken your record from the previous night. David went through juniors and 17 years of grade cricket and never dropped a single catch,the blokes amazing.
TheRev
Roar Pro
Mate, great article! You are not "just" a 14 year old - you are yourself, someone with interests who can articulate them in a clear and engaging way. You should be proud of yourself. It was incredibly refreshing to hear what a young person thinks of the game & I'd appreciate any future articles you may have in you. Well done and keep them coming! (btw, Harris was way better than Lee ever was)
JamesH
Roar Guru
Always good to hear that there are young test fans out there! It's the greatest game on Earth. I think David Lord is just warming a seat for you on the Roar panel ;)
Beauty of a geek Brains of a bimbo
Guest
Test cricket is best cricket!
jonty smith
Roar Guru
I am also only 14 years old and love writing, having written many articles on this site. Great, firstly to see some other kids writing and secondly, to see you produce such a great first article. I find it hard to separate the formats, however classic test cricket with a good contest is very hard to beat. Good to see another young person likes test cricket and yes, I really get where you come from with others saying how boring it is. Keep the articles coming!
sheek
Roar Guru
Ikejeffo, Well done. It was interesting to read your article & thoughts. It's great that test cricket still resonates with your generation of people. I just hope you are not the minority! Let me give you some context, I was 14 in 1970. I was a late starter to cricket, only learning about it during the 1967/68 season. This is because I was born & raised in the jungle of PNG where there was no TV & the only radio was the professional high-powered radio govt officials used to contact each other over of kilometres & kilometres of jungle & mountains. Of course, it didn't stop my dad tuning into Radio Australia for commentary on cricket tests, or the footy. I used to wonder where he disappeared to on Saturday arvos. Straight to the govt office! So it was while holidaying in Australia in 1967 to visit family & holiday that I first came across cricket & a host of other sports. Same thing happened on my previous visit in 1965, but somehow I missed the cricket then. Anyway in 1970 the Aussies went to India & won a hard-fought series 3-1 that was tougher than the scoreline indicated. The Aussies used to win in India back then! Then onto South Africa where they were swamped by the Saffies 4-0. Almost immediately the safes were sent into political isolation, & one of the best cricket teams of all-time was lost to the game. Although they were opposition players, I still have the fondest memories of those 1970 Saffies - Graeme (lhb-4) & Peter Pollock (rf-10), Barry Richards (rhb-2), Mike Procter (rf/rhb-9), Eddie Barlow (rhb/rfm-5), Lee Irvine (lhb-6), Denis Lindsay (wk/rhb-7), Tiger Lance (rhb/rfm-8), the veteran Trevor Goddard (lhb/lfm-1) & Graham Chevalier (sla-11), all ably led by Ali Bacher (rhb-3). Procter batting at 9 - ridiculous. He was good enough to bat at six! I can tell you that it hurt to see my heroes totally smashed. Especially Ian Chappell & Graham McKenzie, who had been among the best players in India, completely lost form. Chappell, announced by his captain Bill Lawry as the best batsman in the world, crashed for 92 runs at 11.50. McKenzie, our best & fastest bowler, was completely out of sorts, taking just one wicket for 330 runs in three tests. In 1966/67, McKenzie, in another series heavily lost in South Africa, had carried the Aussie attack almost single-handedly, capturing 24 wickets at 26. The next summer 1970/71 at home, Australia lost the Ashes 2-0 to a solid England team, led tightly & cunningly by Ray Illingworth, included the world's then best opener Geoff Boycott (apart from Barry Richards, that is) & the world's then best fast bowler John Snow (apart from Mike Procter, that is) & including the brilliant keeper-batsman Alan Knott. Although Australia lost the series they introduced the "holy trinity" - keeper Rod Marsh, batsman Greg Chappell & fast bowler Dennis Lillee. And in the last test they gave the captaincy to the best man in the job in the 50 years I have followed cricket - Ian Chappell. From there Australia climbed to the top. As you go through your journey of cricket, the fortunes of the national team will rise & fall, in turn to your elation & your despair. But through it all your memories will grow & grow. In old age, you can look back fondly at each era, even the less prosperous ones still have their magic. You will welcome many heroes, & if you love the history of the game, you will learn about more heroes of the past. However, the players you were exposed to in your first 10 years of the sport will always have a special place in your heart & mind. They were the ones who were there for your "awakening".
michael steel
Guest
Good on you ikejeffo, the only thing I can say is enjoy your test cricket. I have never watched a 20/20 game nor have I watched too many one day internationals but accept the other forms of cricket. BUT I have gone for nights out at one day internationals and it's great fun, just as 20/20 would be. I started watching Test cricket on TV when Bill Lawry was captain Lillee and G Chappell burst on to the scene. In 40 years time you will be saying "it was lot better in my day". Be warned, The Roar cricket community are harsh, so don't get to down when someone calls you a clown. It won't happen this article.
Aron
Roar Pro
"I see Brett Lee as my idol but I see Glenn McGrath as my teacher." I love this line. Great job!
ikejeffo16
Roar Rookie
It definitely is possible, that rabid Adelaide United fan is now a cricket fan after going to one day of one test match, and yes I agree that people of our age are not as into this great sport as some other sports but finding another test cricket tragic is always a great feeling
Callum Thomson
Roar Guru
I'm also 14 years old and test cricket has been and always will be my favourite format of my favourite sport. I found that it is possible to transform people in test cricket lovers. When I first started cricket when I was about 8 my Mum hated cricket, she couldn't think of anything worse to do with her Friday nights and eventually Saturday mornings. Now six years later she is the Vice President of my cricket club and is a test cricket nut. She is loving the India vs Australia test series. It's great to see other kids my age take an interest in the gentleman's sport. Keep the articles up!
Daniel Jeffrey
Editor
As a self-confessed cricket traditionalist, it's always good to hear from young fans of the game's longest format. Keep at it mate!
Baz
Guest
Mate you write much better then me and keep up the good work. I love all forms of cricket but for me Test Cricket is no.1 and always be a second is australia playing in any format. You won't always have friends who love cricket but if you go to the cricket and just start yapping to people you'll find someone to share you love of the game with that's what i do. Nothing beats a testing spell a game where a bowler can work over a batsmen and a batsmen can work over the bowler as there's always more gaps on test cricket.
Peter Z
Guest
Good read mate. Look forward to the next one.
Hutchoman
Roar Pro
Mate, good on you for putting this article out there. I look forward to seeing you writing more on the wonderful topic of Test cricket in the future! It's sometimes hard to be a Test cricket fan, whether as a 14 year old, or someone who has a few more miles on the clock such as myself. It's a time consuming beast and one that can be difficult to follow without that time investment. Nowadays I don't get to actually watch anywhere near the amount I'd like to, even when played in Australia, but still take the most immense joy in whatever time I can get to genuinely absorb a great contest between bat and ball. Stick with it, and I can assure you it will reward you over time!