Beebo
Firm and Fruity
- Location
- Hexleybeef
Just 2 draws in 44 tests.
Cricket thread
- Thread starter rich p
- Start date
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matticus
Guru
I think this is really the nub of this debate. There seem to be broadly two schools of thought:
- draws are good if your team wasn't expecting to win. And
- draws are almost always quite boring.
For myself, I accept draws as part of the rich tapestry of test cricket (and occasionally they can be hard-fought nail-biting finishes). But generally the most exciting matches are those where neither team wants a draw, and plays accordingly.
Equally, I usually find 3-day tests as exciting as 5 days. Unless you've actually paid for a day 4/5 ticket, there is nothing "better" about a 5-day match.
Beebo
Firm and Fruity
- Location
- Hexleybeef
yes, I think you have nailed it. I can see the win at all costs mentality. But to only draw 2 tests shows there must have been plenty of games where the draw was an option that was not taken.
The rear guard action battling draw can be one of the most exciting thing. It is what makes Test cricket so unique and baffling to non cricket fan.
A 5 day game can end with one team comprehensively outplayed in all facets of the game, but if you can’t get 20 wickets you won’t win.
Giving your wicket away cheaply is something that should be avoided.
But we have also had to sit through games where after day 3 a draw is a virtual certainty, which makes day 4 and 5 pretty pointless.
The pitch also has a huge impact on the result, and making a pitch that is good enough for 4 days but not too good for 5 days is clearly very tricky.
