The Ashes & Hampshire Cricket Summer Thread

That's why hotspot is good. A feather is clear on it. That's why it's meant to be a good thing to use. Not so much when the third umpire is blind time and again. On an edge I think they should use snicko as well even if it takes a bit of extra time

 

Far too much extra though. The delays would just get stupid.

However the snicko people have said they are working on reducing that lag time significantly, so that hopefully it can eventually be incorporated into the system.

 

It only takes a couple of minutes. Over the course of a day's play that's nothing.

 

Really hope they can get that 'quick snicko' into use soon, would be hugely beneficial to the review process.

 

Irrelevant that over the course of the day it's nothing. You can't hold a game up for three or four minutes like that. Everyone just waiting around. Not to mention the fact that over rates are appalling enough already.

But the inventors are seemingly serious about being able to get the time down to 10 seconds, maybe even before the Ashes this winter.

 

No. It's not irrelevant at all when one decision can change the course of a match that lasts 5 days. It's more important to get the right decision and wait a couple more minutes. And the time could be made up somewhere easily since it's such a little amount of time lost..

 

But wouldn't it still involve a human looking at the results and making the decision?

 

It would, but the more evidence you have to work with the better, and snicko is a lot clearer at picking up edges away from the body than all other current technology. As it is there are numerous decisions where there is a large element of doubt, hard for the umpire to make a call and then three minutes later the snicko comes through and it's clear as day but it's too late and a wrong decision has been made. If you bring snicko into the umpires arsenal it would be hugely beneficial in about 75% of reviews where an edge is involved.

 

You just don't get it. They can't afford to hang around for those few minutes. And besides, there could be a number of these reviews which would take a fair few overs out of the days play.

 

So how come they very rarely bowl the full 90 overs in the day these days, if there's this apparent available time to make up for the lost time?

The fans would hate the delay, the players I suspect would the hate the delay. Over the course of four innings, that could be a fair few times that everyone is having to hang around doing nothing, just waiting.

 

Session and interval lengths are already adjusted when time is lost to rain so your point about overs is completely irrelevant. They also may extend the session including the final session if a team is 9 wickets down and 90 or more overs haven't already been bowled. Time wouldn't even be lost from the game. This can be very easily done so that if time is lost due to a review the length of the session is longer.

 

You quoted me where in the final sentence I've already stated time could be made up easily. I've explained above certain scenarios where time is made up or session time is extended already. Also, you realise the normal over rate is like 15 overs per hour right? That's 5 minutes per over on average for fast bowlers. Even if these reviews happen 2 times every day for the test match that's probably just 5 minutes per day to extend a session by. Very easy to do. Hopefully you understand now, because you're the one that doesn't get it at all.

 

I think the problem is not so much time lost as time spent standing around doing nothing, it would be a bit farcical really, every time a review is called where there's some possibility of an edge being involved (I.e. a lot of LBW's as well as caughts), the players would just be sat out there twiddling their thumbs for a few minutes, plus another couple for the actual review process. When they brought DRS in they designed it in a manner so that they could get through the process quickly and efficiently, just a bit embarrassing for the sport if every time a review is called if everything has to stop whilst we wait for snicko, would all be a bit daft really. From my understanding (I think Brendy mentioned it too) real-time Snicko has basically already been developed, they're just going through the process of trying to get the nod from the ICC and it can be in place within the next few months, and given the evidence from this Ashes series thus far it is badly needed.

 

When they have drinks that's what happens (standing around). Including when the 12th man just runs on to give the batsmen drinks or a message. Sometimes you have a change of ball for it being out of shape. You have players coming on and off the field for one reason or another. I could go on. Don't know how many test matches or 4 day games you've been to but 5 minutes per day is literally nothing considering all the goings on. And it would be made up. Anyway sounds like it can be done quicker so all this won't matter soon

 

Yeah but the difference is that during those instances nothing important is actually happening, the TV channels go to a break, if you're at the ground you might read the newspaper, check your phone, eat a sandwich, go to the loo etc. With a review it'd be 'OK we're going to a review!!!', check no-ball, watch it real-time, check a few replays on hot-spot aaaand now let's sit here for a while whilst they build a Snicko, the TV channels can't go to a break so would have to just fill it with idle nonsense, the spectators are just left in limbo and it's just a huge anti-climax. It's meant to be a big moment in the game and an exciting event, instead you're just waiting for something to happen, it would make them total non-events.

 

Cricket like all sports is primarily entertainment...you have to be as accurate as you can be without destroying the game. DRS can add to the excitement of the game...will he challenge, won't he etc, but must be rapid. Snicko should only be used if immediately available like the other recordings. DRS has never been much of a problem until this series...suggests it's the quality of the third umpire. Both England and Australia players said they would be happy to have English/Aussie umpires used...think they were saying that they trust the neutrality of the top men and would rather have the best sat in the box.

 

Looking at the forecast I can't see there being enough play to get a result. Shame could have been an exciting finish with Aussies having to win!

 

Yes, shame if the Aussies miss their chance of a win. I would cry if I could stop laughing long enough

 

Ah, but you're not taking into account that the ECB, ICC etc are tight sticklers for rules. Stumps can be no later than 6.30pm and besides, the crowd don't pay to watch the cricketers standing around doing nothing. It would just look strange if everyone was standing around waiting for a few minutes.

 

So England avoid the follow on. Makes a draw look inevitable now.