Fans at the SCG and watching the broadcast were fuming after the opening day of the third Test was ruined by a lengthy delay over bad light.
Former Australian captain Allan Border was also unhappy and said the ICC needed to revamp its rules around bad light stopping play, labelling Wednesday’s decision as soft.
When play was finally called off late in the afternoon, the Aussies were 2-147 after facing only 47 of the allotted 90 overs.
Australia were building nicely at 1-138 when play was called off midway through the second session even after the umpires offered South Africa skipper Dean Elgar the chance to keep playing.
Even though he had earlier operated with Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer in tandem, Elgar rejected the option of continuing play if he bowled his spinners.
Umpires test the light on day one. (Photo by Brett Hemmings – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
The umpires returned for a 3.45pm resumption but just as the South African fielders and two Australian batters were walking onto the field, they were told to head back to the dressing rooms because the light was not considered good enough.
“The light’s good if the lights are on,” Border said during a Fox Cricket interview on the playing arena at 4pm. “You could play in this light, in my opinion.
“I’ve been arguing this case for 20 odd years of the current light rule is too soft, we come off too easily when it does darken up in the afternoon.
“I just think it’s something that the game needs to look at a lot more closely as to when it does become dangerous, when it does become difficult to see.
“We’re not playing now so it’s easy to sort of make these comments. If you’re facing someone with serious pace you might feel differently during the heat of battle. Right now to me the light is no different to how it has been for hours.”
Marnus Labuschagne of Australia speaks with Kyle Verreynne and Sarel Erwee of South Africa. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Play finally resumed at 4.45pm but only four more overs were bowled before the umpires called a halt to proceedings immediately after Marnus Labuschagne was caughy behind off Anrich Nortje for 79.
Labuschagne had looked on track for his fourth century of the summer but was dismissed by a perfect leg-cutter.
“I was definitely very frustrated,” Labuschagne said. “It always makes you very angry as a batter when you get out and then everyone walks with you off the field.
“It really makes you think about that specific ball was probably under the light meter and you’re getting out.”
Asked if he felt it was too dark when Nortje had bowled the ball, Labuschagne said he had not considered it until his dismissal.
“I was just really focused on the ball … It certainly was dark,” he said. “The umpires need to make sure if they do feel like it is dark, it doesn’t matter if the over is still going or that something happens before we go off.
“But perhaps they thought until I was dismissed (it was OK) and then the light dropped suddenly and it became too dark.”
It already appears likely that weather could present the biggest hurdle for the hosts as they push for guaranteed qualification in the World Test Championship final with a win.
Poor weather has now impacted six of the last seven Tests at the SCG, with further rain forecast later in the week.
Labuschagne looked in impeccable touch, pulling and cutting his way past 50 as part of a 135-run stand with Usman Khawaja (54no).
After being patient in the first session, Labuschagne added 42 in his 53 balls after lunch as he took to Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj.
He had a scare on 70 when he edged a ball off Marco Jansen and was given out on soft signal, before third-umpire Richard Kettleborough deemed the ball had bounced before reaching Simon Harmer.
South Africa were left furious and remonstrated with umpire Chris Gaffaney and Labuschagne, with the latter adamant the ball had bounced.
“All of us thought it was out. Simon was convinced it went straight in,” Nortje said.
“If you look at the angles, to us it looks like fingers are underneath it. Unfortunately we didn’t get that one. I think it would’ve been a big one at that stage. We were convinced it was out.”
Labuschagne added: “If there’s no TV (replays) then I’m walking. But with the amount of slow-motion footage you see of the ball, you see his fingers push and split open.
“According to the technicalities, some of the ball is touching the grass, regardless of if his fingers are under it or not. It’s hard because back in the day or even before we had this technology or camera work, they would just send you packing.”
At the other end, Khawaja became the 27th Australian to pass 4000 Test runs as he continued on his merry way at the SCG.
Now averaging more than 100 at the ground, he pulled the ball nicely and drove neatly through the covers.
Earlier, David Warner was the first Australian to fall when he edged Nortje to first slip on 10 as he chased a wide delivery.
Already up 2-0 in the three-Test series, Australia have had more difficulty off the field with Matt Renshaw testing positive to COVID-19.
Recalled to the Test team on Wednesday morning after four years out, the Queenslander reported feeling unwell before the start of play.
He has since kept his distance from teammates, but at this stage plans to continue in the Test while batting at No.6.
Peter Handscomb has been listed as an emergency fielder for the match, with he and Marcus Harris possible options to replace Renshaw under ICC rules if he is too unwell.
Diamond Jackie
Roar Rookie
We made exactly the same call. Instead of 4 of us spending almost $800 on tickets, food, drink, parking to see a lop sided rain ruined game we will be going to the women's ODI Aust vs Pakistan for $20 adults and $5 kids at North Sydney in late Jan .
Grand Panjandrum
Guest
It's unfair only if someone deliberately engineered a difference in conditions. Weather is a natural phenomenon that can impact you in a good or bad way. Try golf. Random luck of the draw means you might finish you round in great conditions, while those teeing off later might have to deal with rain/wind etc. It's not any different to South Africa consistently losing the toss this series and seemingly being on the backfoot from day 1. Unless the coin was rigged to favour Cummins, you just have to cop the rub of the green.
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
Gotcha, just one of those irregular days, dealt with as required, complicated by too many people with an outlet for an opinion.
JGK
Roar Guru
Yes, even with the lights. The twilight time is the worst time to bat in ODIs or Ponk ball matches. Yesterday, the batters would effectively had 3 hours of twilight batting under lights. That’s not fair.
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
Even with lights? Time to change with the times, make it local playing conditions if the ICC needs a decade to bureaucratically manage it! The teams and their admin were fine with it, then play on. Again the ICC has essentially given the Umpires an OH&S ruling to determine without the actual participants being integral.
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
So after all the garbage about the 2 day Test in Brisbane, all the hype about night Tests, the playing conditions still allow for bad light stoppages in stadiums with lights to allow for a full day? Meanwhile a decades old 'controversy' about mankads is the dominant topic! Trail your bat when backing up and put the lights on, 'problems' solved.
Grand Panjandrum
Guest
Ok, so have a accepted range published at the beginning of each match and put up on the scoreboard. You final sentence is wrong by the way. There most definitely isn't a "one size fits all" approach.
Grand Panjandrum
Guest
t20 is also played exclusively at night there. play a t20 match on a wednesday morning or mid-afternoon and I guarantee no one will turn up. Watch live sport for leisure is a privilege of the wealthy countries I'm afraid.
Diamond Jackie
Roar Rookie
I get all those points - quite true. But you'd think a few thousand might be able to make it along. The weekend crowds in Pakistan crows haven't been much better. I think a lot of it comes down to 20/20 taking test crowds away.
liquorbox_
Roar Rookie
Why cant they use the pink ball for test matches? Surely with the lights on this should be sufficient.
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
If it was at a different stage of the game, someone pushing for runs or wickets, they would have kept going. The Aussies will aim to potter around the breaks until they get a 1/2 decent score and leave SA to hang on in the last 2 days. The forecast for today is "cloudy", so better give up then.
ColinT
Roar Rookie
I am prepared to take AB’s word on this. He should know better than anyone. He often batted in worse conditions, without lights, against some of the best fast bowlers to ever play the game and without the benefit of the gigantic sight screen sheets in use today. I can understand the batsmen chirping away at the umpire about bad light. If the rules are too soft then of course batsmen will take advantage of that if they can.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
"There needs to be a published light standard that is used globally." Actually, I disagree. Light and weather conditions vary globally. I'd prefer to see an outcome where there is greater emphasis on the assessment of conditions at particular venues. And I would actually prefer the decision to be at the call of the "vagaries" of the umpires, determined against agreed playing conditions. The approach so far of a "one size fits all" is what is getting us into these problems in the first place.
Andrew
Guest
Cricket Guarantee minimum lux number to allow play is 6000. Guarantee minimum lux number to allow play with slow ball only is 5100. Guarantee bar is needed to limit light rule abuse.
Grand Panjandrum
Guest
There needs to be a published light standard that is used globally. Too often it's left to the individual discretion of the umpires match by match. The conditions in Sydney today were similar to the conditions for Pak v Eng and Pak v NZ final sessions, and cricket was played there. Even in pristine sunshine, the light reading should be taken every 5 overs and the figure publicly placed on the scoreboard, against an internationally set benchmark. That way all would know and it's not left to the vagaries of umpires. Heck the technology would exist so that you can put the light meter in the bails and it can constantly update the light figure.
Grand Panjandrum
Guest
But there are sensible explanations to poor crowds in such countries. Of the 15m... 1. Many of them are too poor for the tickets. I've watched a few days of test cricket in Sri Lanka when I was going for work and I was surprised by the cost of tickets. $10 AUD for the day...cheap for me, not for the locals. 2. Many are working in factories to make the clothes you wear while the cricket is on. 3. These are developing countries where leisure time is rare, precious and NEVER taken on a random work day. Leave entitlements are poor to non existent, and a day not working is a day not paid there. 4. For those who have money and gainful employment, again, it's simply not the culture to go and watch cricket on a weekday. 5. School is absolutely cherished as a means to escape poverty. Kids aren't missing school to go to cricket. The night tests in Pakistan have been far, far better attended. Night cricket is always well attended in South Asia. The working class can go to matches that way. In developing countries, get the games on at night and more will attend.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
I actually don't mind a varied version of this suggestion. Include in the playing conditions an option (by the match referee/field umpires only) to substitute a pink ball for a red ball - but from the start of the match and for the entirety of the match - with the decision to be made say 1 hour before the toss. Parameters likely vary per venue, but may - eg for Sydney - be along the lines of more than 80% forecast to be days of full cloud cover, or 3 days of thunderstorms, or whatever. I don't know the answer to the parameters - and I don't need to - there's enough local and expert knowledge around to make that determination re the guidelines. It's not ideal, but for the sake of the game in the contemporary era, it's better than losing sessions of play, when they would have played under lights, including at night, if it was a pink ball.
Bobbo7
Guest
Pakistan are dishing up the road of roads though. It's pretty hard to watch even as an avid Test fan.
MCPC
Roar Rookie
Stupid Question: How can they play night-time BBL Matches (& AFL & NRL Matches) at this ground but not play test cricket on an overcast day?
Abbot
Guest
I too was at the ground and whilst I agree at times the light was poor, there was a lot of time wasted where the light seemed ok. The frustration of seeing the light meter checked and checked and checked again was unbelievable! Surely knowing the forecast of cloudy weather all week, playing a day test with the pink ball (or otherwise substituting the red ball for a pink ball of similar wear) could be a solution when the light becomes poor to keep play going?