Cricket

[BambooToTheFuture]

Removing the draw would be an enormous change of the rules, yes.

Putting a roof on a cricket ground would be monstrously expensive and possibly impossible from an engineering perspective, they're simply enormous, many many times higher footprint than centre court has, and circular. Maybe modern technology makes it more possible, but I certainly can't imagine it would be even close to economically viable.

I'm not asking to remove the draw indefinitely. You would still get draws if a game played out over the normal time period with no significant weather delays. I just feel like when say at least half a days play or more is lost, then there should be some way of recouping that rather than sacrificing a whole day - like today. Especially when it's a key/defining point and a match is in the balance.

Have you heard of The Eden Project? Some hybrid form of biome that retracts in an armadillo type of fashion would work. Don't get me wrong they'd be relatively revolutionary in terms of size. I will remind you that several football stadia have retractable roofs too so you're maybe looking at something 2 or 3 times larger than a Wembley roof. Plus it could be something that doesn't have to be so large and only shields an area from where the rain is coming from and any particular time. Maybe it has intelligence which means it can be programmed to follow/track a weather system too?

I think you're looking for excuses rather than solutions Nemo*




*I is just pullin ye leg

[Jimmy HaveHave]

Just the one cricket stadium in the world with a retractable roof
Melbourne Docklands stadium

[adje]

Wonder if people would be saying the same if roles were reversed? I mean it's not like England have never been saved by the weather

[BambooToTheFuture]

Just the one cricket stadium in the world with a retractable roof
Melbourne Docklands stadium

It can't be done :

[BambooToTheFuture]

Wonder if people would be saying the same if roles were reversed? I mean it's not like England have never been saved by the weather

Yup I would. And just because a nation many of us support has profited from such a circumstance, it doesn't necessarily make it right.

Well it does under current laws but you understand what I mean

[adje]

Yep, I do. Fair point but I just can't help thinking we wouldn't be having this debate if England had benefited from the weather. Not just you Bamboo but everywhere today on the media. I've been following cricket for 60 years and I may be wrong,but I really don't recall any such debate. It's always been accepted that weather plays a part. Until now

[dalumpimunki]

Yep, I do. Fair point but I just can't help thinking we wouldn't be having this debate if England had benefited from the weather. Not just you Bamboo but everywhere today on the media. I've been following cricket for 60 years and I may be wrong,but I really don't recall any such debate. It's always been accepted that weather plays a part. Until now

Yeah, but they used to say that about floodlights. No-one really likes drawn games. And actively dislike teams playing for a draw from day one of the game as Aus did in this test. Anything that minimises teams playing that sort of tedious  ticket is worth exploring.

[JoeMezz]

Yep, I do. Fair point but I just can't help thinking we wouldn't be having this debate if England had benefited from the weather. Not just you Bamboo but everywhere today on the media. I've been following cricket for 60 years and I may be wrong,but I really don't recall any such debate. It's always been accepted that weather plays a part. Until now

Agreed. The main point for me is the lost time due to a slow over rate which has been a recurrent issue this series. I've been thinking about enforcing it:
- Penalty runs - batting team could slow it down to force the team to forfeit penalty runs.
- Bowl until it gets dark - bowling team could slow it down to bowl in more favourable conditions under lights.

The best solution I've come up with is to start at 10.30, play 2 hour 20 sessions and reduce lunch break to 30 mins.

[fuzzy]

Agreed. The main point for me is the lost time due to a slow over rate which has been a recurrent issue this series. I've been thinking about enforcing it:
- Penalty runs - batting team could slow it down to force the team to forfeit penalty runs.
- Bowl until it gets dark - bowling team could slow it down to bowl in more favourable conditions under lights.

The best solution I've come up with is to start at 10.30, play 2 hour 20 sessions and reduce lunch break to 30 mins.

Have a play clock like NFL.

A maximum number of seconds between the end of one passage of play and the ball leaving the bowlers hand for the next delivery?

Passage of play determined by the ball being bowled to the ball being recieved by a fielder and becoming 'dead'.

Play clock runs out because of field team fuckwittery- +4 penalty runs.

Play clock runs out due to at bat team fuckwittery- -4 penalty runs.

Double the play clock time between overs to allow fielding changes.

Need a conflab with your boys/ girls? Timeout. Maximum number of timeouts per side per session.

[Wobbly Bob]

Agreed. The main point for me is the lost time due to a slow over rate which has been a recurrent issue this series. I've been thinking about enforcing it:
- Penalty runs - batting team could slow it down to force the team to forfeit penalty runs.
- Bowl until it gets dark - bowling team could slow it down to bowl in more favourable conditions under lights.

The best solution I've come up with is to start at 10.30, play 2 hour 20 sessions and reduce lunch break to 30 mins.

Or just play until 90 overs are completed in the day, less adjustment for innings changes etc.
15 or 16 hours of daylight in the summer months, plenty of time.

[Bogus Dave]

I think the play clock idea works if the only penalty runs occur against the bowling side. The batters punishment is a hit at the stumps if you’re not ready

[Nemo]

Romping along this morning, 127/3 with an over to go after being inserted. For all the nonsense about moral victories, England really are enormous fun to watch at the moment - with the bat anyway, actually find their bowling tactics to be quite dull when they go to the short ball, providing it's not Wood doing them!

[Nemo]

Moeen crocked and going on the attack, this is great.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

Why hasn’t he got a runner

[RobertT]

Why hasn’t he got a runner

Not allowed anymore - people were taking the piss