I don't get the arguement that people with ticket will be annoyed. If you know 100% it is going to rain heavily (as we did yesterday) then starting an hour early won't make them miss any cricket. Rain will still stop play at the same time - you just get an extra hour. I know for sure that if I had a ticket i would rather them start an hour early if it means actually getting a result from the test
Agree with this but might have been better to not have a home ashes series and world cup in the same summer as we just don't have enough decent weather!
There's also the wear and tear, physical and mental on the players of the increasingly congested schedule.
Just one of those things. The World Cup won't be back in England for a while so this problem won't crop up for a while.
I would say the schedule is appalling. In the height of summer, some counties played precious little cricket. Maybe as much as 10 days without bowling a ball or lifting a bat. With the approaching autumn, the congestion gets ridiculous. 4 sets of 4 day matches in late August to the fag end of September. Throw in the time needed for the T20 knockout and finals day.
I would argue that players played more cricket in the 70s and 80s tan they do now. Every team played each other at least once in the then one división County Championship, there was the B&H 55 over tournament, then the 60 over one plus the JP 40 over matches on a Sunday. And England´s test players at the time, returned to their counties and played. What has increased is the ludicrous number of 1 day internationals against the normal two touring teams over a 5 match series in a normal summer and a short series of T20s against the same opponents.
Can I refer you to my last comment about Archer, which was positive in an overall way rather than something I said about 10 days ago? It is on the last page, about 20 comments prior to this one?
Based on his relative inexperience, rather than anything else. Anyone nothing wrong with listening to the views of others and observing, is there?
Thanks. Imagine if we lived in a world where one´s views were fixed!! Uh!!!! We tend to have our fixed preferences but they can be either intensified or modified, and at times altered. Perhaps some day, folk on here will look more kindly at two PL sides that are currently not top of the list of favourite other clubs. One thing for sure is that this test match will be a massive learning curve for Archer. Is he bowling 90 mph most deliveries, or is he pacing himself around the mid 80s and then letting go a really fast one? I don´t pictures here or commentary so I am relying on YouTube, texts and comments from the likes of yourself. In another era, the late and great Malcolm Marshall was a master of this as he matured.
And this on a pitch without too much pace. I wonder what speed he could manage on a pacy wicket such as the Wacca in Perth.
Smith back (and playing well) after an arm injury and a concussion test...can't question his team spirit.