Thursday, March 19, 2015

Every sport has its share of lunatics. Unfortunately, some of them occasionally manage to take control of the asylum. In cricket's case, that asylum, the ICC, has had some of the inmates run amok. It wouldn't be the first time, it sure won't be the last. And, man, what fun these paupers of intellectual endeavour get up to.

The latest genius notion that their oh so virile minds could conjure up was to eliminate the break between innings if the side batting first was all out before the allotted three and a half hours. So, as in the case of last evenings encounter between South Africa and Sri Lanka, when the latter were dismissed for one hundred and thirty-three runs after only thirty-eight over's, instead of taking the normal thirty minute break, the former had to face their first ten over's, then, and only then, could the normal tea break be commenced.

Oh how fair. South Africa's reward for bundling out a foe cheaply with superbly accurate bowling was to have the momentum of their innings broken when they were going along nicely with forty runs on the board and only one wicket down.

Sure, South Africa still went on to win comfortably, and, yes, you could argue a rain delay can have the same effect. Except that there was no inclement weather, therefore rendering that argument obsolete.

But, before we finish, let us point out something somewhat more valid. And that is, as someone pointed out yesterday, New Zealand recently removed their opposition so quickly and forcibly that they had time to wipe off the majority of the deficit before the lunch break. Let the word "majority" be stressed, for with approximately fifteen runs needed to win, yep, you guessed it, the ICC's rule book intervened and forced some grub down the oesophagus's of both sides.

Which is all fine, I suppose, except that all but a hardy few in the crowd chose to go home early. It may not have been a classic encounter, but, still, why not advertise your sport in the best way possible.

And one of those concepts would be to have the viewer get value for money and witness the whole match.



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