England / New Zealand

Bad light stopped play

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< 1 minute read

It’s not often we agree with Mark Nicholas, if only because we don’t float through life spouting words like ‘divine’ and ‘exquisite’ every second sentence, but we think he had a point this one time he was commentating over Channel 5 highlights of cricketers walking on and off the field.

Nicholas reckons that cricketers can play in worse light than they currently do and most people who’ve been at a cricket ground on a faintly murky day will probably agree.

The magical thing about the human eye is that it responds to the amount of light available. Obviously there’s a limit and equally obviously it can get dangerous when there are lanky, demonic sociopaths flinging cricket balls at your face, but the point where bad light is offered to the batsman is too soon.

For example, when it’s May in England, it can never get that gloomy in the middle of the day – even under the heaviest cloud cover. In the match Nicholas was commentating on, England and New Zealand went off for bad light five times in one day. If Simon Taufel and Steve Bucknor had ever visited England in December, they’d have had their sunglasses on.

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18 comments

  1. At risk of sounding like a serious cricket related comment, surely domestic umpires had a vast advantage in this regard. They also had a better idea of potential weather conditions. Why were they removed again?

  2. Jefford is definitely going on The List of Names That Are Good For Cats.

  4. You have permission to dust your hands down in ‘job done’ fashion.

  5. In a bid to save money, avoid planning regulations, and ensure that crowds see a full day’s cricket in murky light, may I suggest that that grounds play a loop of slow songs over the PA? The Great British Public’s propensity to wave lighters aloft at the first bars of “Stairway to Heaven” or “Angels” should ensure enough light for play to continue.

  6. We never stop for ‘bad light’. Rain maybe, but not being able to see the ball is seen as a poor excuse from a batsman or fielder. Bowlers dont need to see the ball.

  8. KC,

    England missed a huge trick in coming off on Day 2 at 66/0 with our boys bowling pies and rain forecast on Day 3.

    That kind of mindset, most famously displayed in Adelaide 2006 is what separates you from where you should be.

    BTW, Hamilton 08 is another good example

  9. I couldn’t agree more, and was about to mention Hamilton until I scrolled down and read to the end of your comment. I know I’m always saying this but you have to dare to lose, to win, and England don’t dare to lose.

    Re the kit, I would have thought that England’s new kit (which looks EVEN WHITER in real life than on TV) would help the light situation, as it is bright enough to emit its own glow.

    Mel, or the PA system could play some hardcore trance and give out glowsticks.

  16. great stuff from haydos! favourite quote so far:

    That’s for two reasons: for my fitness and power, and for body position

    brilliant!

  17. Sorry if it sounds like I’m preaching to the converted here, but Mathew Hayden is a pretentious prick.

    He might as well say “It’s a good job I wasn’t around in Bradman’s era, he might not have got a game”.

    Tosser!

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