Day & Night matches

[Zainub]

Are day and night one-day matches a good spectacle for the sport?

Not as I see things. I've never been in favor of anything that gives any side an undue advantage over the other and too often we have seen such match being decided at the toss of a coin (some time sides bowling under lights struggle with dew and at othet times sides batting under lights struggle under excessive movement generated off the pitch (which was virtually non existant in the first session - the prime examples being world cup matches in South Africa in 2003 where Jimmy Anderson and Aashish Nehra exploited conditions and helped their respective sides to victory). No mater where in the world you are playing and regardless of how the weather and the outfield is a day-and-night match will always offer different playing condition to different sides (one team will play in the day and the other will in the night) and that can IMO never be totally fair. Financial benefits apart I can't think of any good d/n matches have done to cricket. If we can't afford to get rid of them altogether we should at least make sure that any decesive games should not be day-and-night encounters, and that day-and-night games are not a feature in major events like the World Cup.

[Occasional Fan]

From the point of view of skewing the odds, Zainub, I am sure you are right. In most cases it seems that the conditions for the teams are vastly different. Financially, again, I am sure you are right. The mighty dollar prevails again!

That said, I have been to two D/N games in my life - both England games in Cape Town in 2000. The first one was won by South Africa, batting first, by one run, Darren Gough taking two off the last ball when four would have been more handy; the second was won by Zimbabwe, also batting first, by 104 runs, which rather supports your position. Both games, however, were real spectacles and the atmosphere at Newlands was just wonderful. That goes for the atmosphere generated by the crowd as well as the beautiful balmy evenings which Cape Town enjoys in the summer. Relative advantages for the teams left aside, I have to say that I, admittedly a rather temperature-sensitive north European, would rather sit at Newlands in the evening with the Cape Doctor keeping the beers from getting too hot than be there in the heat of the noon day sun! I might think a bit differently about an evening at Old Trafford in September, but at the right time of the year and in the right climate - sign me up for your D/N tickets!

[Maranello]

Day night is a particular problem in the sub-continent where the dew impacts everything from the ball to the outfield to the bowler's run-ups. This creates an unfair advantage for the team batting first, and hence day night matches should be avoided in Pakistan and India.

In England, D/N matches are not required as in the cricket season, we have light till 9pm.

The dew is much less of a problem in Australia and New Zealand and we have seen numerous matches there where the dew or conditions were not key factors in determining the result. As such, they should be continued for the spectacle they provide!

I am not sure about SA - weather is not a big factor generally. But in the spring, as in the World Cup, the sea breeze and moisture in the nights can be a critical factor in places like Cape Town. Not sure if it is an issue in Jo'Burg as that's inland. Any SA people care to comment?

[Occasional Fan]

Originally Posted by Maranello

In England, D/N matches are not required as in the cricket season, we have light till 9pm.

And dew from about 7pm. (I'm allowed to say this, because, even though I live in Prague, I am English.) Surely we do have D/N games there now, don't we?