The Ashes 2013 thread

[Dave *]

Different kit, different ball (easier to see white ball in the gloom)
Also strength of the lights and when they are turned on, they weren't on early enough and can't be the primary light source afaik.

It wasn't actually dark, the sky was still blue. Phil Tufnell kept saying on the R5 commentary how the shadows from the ground were causing the gloom at ground level but the sky was still blue.

All the commentators appeared to be in agreement, it was premature, especially with only 23 balls to go, all because of an arbitrary figure on a meter.

 

[Yv]

It wasn't actually dark, the sky was still blue. Phil Tufnell kept saying on the R5 commentary how the shadows from the ground were causing the gloom at ground level but the sky was still blue.

All the commentators appeared to be in agreement, it was premature, especially with only 23 balls to go, all because of an arbitrary figure on a meter.

I do think there is an argument that the umpires should be stamping down more on painfully [and deliberately] slow over rates, that would often reduce the problem anyway - its sportsmanship, both teams have indulged in it now and it does seem wrong though can fully understand why they do it.

However, the light situation strikes me as silly, not because whether it was light or not, of the floods were on or not [harder to see a red ball against a crowd than a white one] - but, the people most likely to get hurt in the gloom are the guys with the bats - if they could see well enough to hit it, then I would suggest it was light enough to play and the original decision on Friday [?] that set the level was wrong. However, that aside, as photographers, we know there are different types of light, which is where I think the umpires should be allowed a certain amount of discretion and common sense - whatever the light meter says, we all know that the quality of a 5.9 [for example] reading on a clear evening will be significantly different to the same reading on a cloudy, overcast damp evening where the light is much more murky and actual visibility across the pitch can be vastly different due to moisture and pollution in the air. Yes, I do realise that such measures could lead to some cries of inconsistencies between umpires, but is that really going to be any worse than the current situation? Not sure....

 

[andyscott]

It wasn't actually dark, the sky was still blue. Phil Tufnell kept saying on the R5 commentary how the shadows from the ground were causing the gloom at ground level but the sky was still blue. All the commentators appeared to be in agreement, it was premature, especially with only 23 balls to go, all because of an arbitrary figure on a meter.

All of the English commentators who weren't in the middle? Whatever was causing the dip in light doesn't matter.

A red ball under artificial light is hard to pick up, look at some of the fielders and when the full toss edge flew for 4 the batsman never picked it up. It's not out of the sky it's the flat ones.

The figure was set early in the game, so it's correct in fairness to keep the same. The figure is for fairness the umpires can come off without a light meter but cannot play on if light levels are previously below that.

It's just the rules, like laws they change but cannot be based on opinions etc, that's why light meters were brought in.

The measured value was around 50 lux (that's dark)

 

[ab2012]

@Yv..and Broad is a prime example of time-wasting (don't care how many times you take your shoes off, we're still going to have another over ..or two...is Broad a bit dim?) and I tend to agree with Darren Lehman's analysys of him. Also
the regular huddles before the England bowlers' bowl, apart from perhaps Swann. And while I'm ranting can we get rid of this pit-pat of gloves between batsmen. The handhake on reaching a 50, 100 etc will do. (again England are the worst at this touchy feely gloving, apart from, so they said, Swann, who turns his back on anyone who tries it)

Roll on November!

 

[Yv]

@Yv..and Broad is a prime example of time-wasting (don't care how many times you take your shoes off, we're still going to have another over ..or two...is Broad a bit dim?) and I tend to agree with Darren Lehman's analysys of him. Also
the regular huddles before the England bowlers' bowl, apart from perhaps Swann. And while I'm ranting can we get rid of this pit-pat of gloves between batsmen. The handhake on reaching a 50, 100 etc will do. (again England are the worst at this touchy feely gloving, apart from, so they said, Swann, who turns his back on anyone who tries it)

Roll on November!

Personally I love Broad as a player, but I don't think you have seen me say anything different... as a paying punter, time wasting is bloody annoying but unless the officials do something about it, the teams will carry on doing it when it benefits them to do so as the perception is that it is acceptable to do so.


A few ODI's/T20's before the return legs, but looking forward to those over nighters

 

[new2me]

Never been a cricket fan, but often hear that England have 'won' not because of a great performance, but because of the weather. Now they're crying because 'bad light' has prevented them winning 3-0 instead of 4-0, while they were happy to draw the third game due to weather. All this fuss over what must be the tiniest trophy in world sport

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Never been a cricket fan, but often hear that England have 'won' not because of a great performance, but because of the weather. Now they're crying because 'bad light' has prevented them winning 3-0 instead of 4-0, while they were happy to draw the third game due to weather. All this fuss over what must be the tiniest trophy in world sport

Size of trophy is irrelevant but its history and longetivity is.

Its relevance lies in yhst.

S

 

[amaFotho]

It is amazing the commentary that goes on around a game of cricket, probably some of the appeal and why ashes tickets were sold out many months ago.

With respect going off for bad light, I am not sure what the ICC can do. I certainly think it is better that the light decision is in the umpires hands rather than the batsman.

Bring on November....