Why do cricket games take so frickin' LONG?

Dioltach said:
Why do operas last so long? Why is The Lord of the Rings so long? Why are romantic walks with your lover slow?

Because some things weren't created with today's rushed mentality in mind, that's why. They are what they are, and should be enjoyed as such (or avoided).

When a walk with your lover or an opera lasts five days, it's also too friggin' long.

NRG
 

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Well, "because it just does" is a reasonable answer.

I recall that Test Cricket once didn't have a time limit and that all matches were played to a conclusion, nowdays this would play merry havoc with schedules. But all the cricket playing nations are a long way from each other (exception for ex-British India*, who weren't playing each other then as it was all one dominion) and when international cricket started the only way of travlling was by boat. If you've spent several months going to Australia by boat you'd want to play to a finish too.

Now with the five day limit the game may end up in a draw if they run out of time.


The ideal cricket experience is take the day off, go down to Lords, have it rain all day and have the game end in a draw without you seeing any play. Especially if the England team is bad and a draw is the best they are going to get.



* India-Pakistan is now the single highest stakes derby game in the world bar none.
 


Olaf the Stout said:
That and England normally lose within 3 or 4 days anyway! :p

Olaf the Stout
Ha! Only those who support the number one ranked test team are allowed to laugh at England, who are ranked number two.

<Looks to see where Olaf is from>

OK, forget I said anything ......
 

Olaf the Stout said:
That and England normally lose within 3 or 4 days anyway! :p

Olaf the Stout

Haha! About time someone said it! I so agree! The real reason that the game takes so long? Because all the other teams don't bat with the passion that us Aussies do : :p!!!
 

Chainsaw Mage said:
Ummm . . . thanks. [scratches head]
A big part of the appeal of Test cricket to its fans is that it tests (hence the name) both psychological and physical endurance. A batsman doesn't get to stay there for a limited period of time (as in a one-day match) but is expected to last as long as he can and score as many runs in that time as possible. The bowling team can't just restrict the other team from scoring, but has to get them all out. And then there's the issue of pure artistry, which the lengthy nature of Test cricket lets one develop and display in a manner that the shorter version doesn't.

Personally, I much prefer watching Tests to one-dayers.
 



Thanks

Delericho--That was the most concise explaination of cricket I've ever read. I watched some cricket matches while we were in India, but everyone was pretty engrossed (vs. Pakistan game) and it was a little difficult to get a proper explanation of what was going on.

And I've found the difficulty of explaining "the point" of a sport universal. You should have seen my face after I finally got someone to explain American football to me in highschool. ;)

-suzi
 

Umm yeah what they said - it's long because it is....

I personally prefer to watch One Day Cricket, but I will watch and do enjoy Test Cricket. Admittedly my team ain't that good at Test so it's a bit of a sore point.

Oh and I'm picking a New Zealand v South Africa final for the World Cup. Why you might ask? Because I want us to win the Cup and there's no way in hell that's going to happen if we face the Aussies in the final...


And slightly off topic have you guys ever seen the 42 Below Vodka ads? There's this great one where the voice over says "England, we love you, you gave Cricket to the Aussies, Soccer to the Brazilians and Rugby to us Kiwi's". -> it's funny 'cause it's true ;)
 

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