Are you sick of 50 over cricket?

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The conventional one-day game is probably the least popular format in England right now.

Seven 50 over matches have been tacked onto the end of a summer that’s already seen a Test and one-day series against the West Indies, the Twenty20 World Cup, the Ashes and what would have been a couple more Twenty20 matches if it hadn’t pissed it down. That scheduling hasn’t done the format any favours, but even without that, people are getting a bit tired of it.

People have talked about getting shot of 50 over cricket altogether and we’ve a lot of sympathy with that point of view, but we wonder whether it would be worth retaining the World Cup.

When we say that, we mean retain just the World Cup – no other one-day internationals whatsoever. It’s kind of harsh on some of the associate nations who rely on one-day cricket fixtures, but we like the idea of all the world’s best players getting together only once every four years and just about nobody having the first clue what’s likely to happen.

It would be an event and it would be worth talking about.

DON'T BE LIKE GATT!

Mike Gatting wasn't receiving the King Cricket email when he dropped that ludicrously easy chance against India in 1993.

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16 comments

  1. i for one like the fifty over game. although my preference is for the test format, these days i am finding it increasingly difficult to drink for 5 days straight. where as twenty20, just doesn’t offer enough time to get a good session in, someone is always round shy by the end of the day. a good one day game though, provides plenty of time to visit the bar, (and as long as it isn’t one of those terrible flood lit occasions) plenty of time after to find somewhere for a decent curry.

  2. ah no come on thats too harsh on ODI (once upon a time our beloved ODIs). I agree ODI is dying and stuff but hey there are some other act able sensible (no offense) solutions out there. So please don’t make us miss our darling for 4 straight years and who know next time around the world cup he will be chilling with drinks on his couch or may have been gone to the final destination (heaven for all).

    Its just we have to find out the perfect solution for it, time will tell. I will try to compile a post about solutions hopefully 🙂

    Cheers

  3. You’re only sick of ODI’s because you are losing at the moment.

    If you get on top, and start thrashing us, you’ll suddenly think it’s God’s own game.

  4. Got to agree with Steve here KC. Don’t worry, Ponting will be back next match with his ‘innovative’ ideas and you’ll be back on top in no time.

    I think with the introduction of T20 and modern scheduling making the 3 or 4 way series obsolete a 3 match series of ODI’s should be sufficient for each tour.

    Maybe they could reintroduce the 3 way series for T20 or ODI by inviting one of the non test playing nations for each tour, costs to be split by the 2 test playing nations. It would help develop the standard of cricket in these nations faster than if they were only playing each other. Sure it would normally be one sided but it would be an interesting exhibition and provide a reason to play more than 3 games…

  5. Just to lift the mood a bit, I heard on Radio 4 this morning that we’ve qualified for the 2010 World Cup. I’m not familiar with this format, I must admit, and while it does seem to offer quite an advantage to the team batting first, it should make the run chase quite interesting.

  6. Thanks bert. Made me laugh. Maybe they get twice as many fielders… or make the 2nd team field with googley eye glasses and walk like Groucho Marx for the duration.

    Personally I’ve sooo little motivation for these ODI’s… such an annoying length of game I find. I can miss a mornings test match if need be, but an ODI you can sneak off to do real life for maybe 15 overs and past that you’re committed to it all sodding day.

  7. These are all good ideas, Spigot. Might I suggest that each (more fielders, googly-eyed glasses, Groucho Marx walking) should be used in five-over bursts to be used at the captain’s discretion, like the powerplays.

    “England behind on the run-rate, here, so they’ve elected to take their Fielders Must Walk Like Groucho Marx Play. A good decision, Geoffrey?”

    “Oooh noooh. They should’ve taken it much sooooner.”

  8. Hey Fred Grace, your brother EM is still wearing it, but at least it is dry now.

    Sorry, is that too obscure an historical reference? And cruel? And very poor taste.

  9. Actually, I guess I meant Fred Grace, not EM (I looked it up later – if only I had the internet .. wait a minute).

    Its Fred that dropped dead. EM just got dropped cos he wasn’t good enough.

    (Fred Grace after playing cricket and presumably getting very drunk went to sleep wearing a wet shirt and caught a chill and died about three weeks later. Very sad really, not something to make fun of.)

    Actually, that’s the problem with English cricket. Too many Graces. I mean, look at Ian Bell!

    Sorry, again, obscure .. I mean grace as in forgiveness, especially after failure.

    I’ll get me coat.

  10. Count yourselves lucky.

    I had a terrible dream last night that the ECB had decided that, with interest in the ODI series lagging, England were instead going to play another Test against Australia – and have it count as part of this year’s Ashes.

    I even dreamt all the anodyne platitudes that the team and coach would come up with to justify it. It was terrifying.

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