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Kookaburra ball experiment is scrapped


Good.

I'm sure the combination of the kookaburra plus flat pitches, eg like at C-L-S hurt the bowlers. It certainly hurt the entertainment.
 
Monument View said:
So should little fat lad Rob Key
He should be dispensed with as well
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Yep. Gave his mate Strauss a large sums of money to carry out a review which has been a total waste of time. Even Atherton took the piss out of the Kookaburra balls idea, yet Key was saying it was a success despite everyone seeing that it was a disaster.
 
Great news.

Credit at least for reversing the decision rather than stubbonly sticking to something that clearly didn't work. Many of those matches were completely futile. We should now have some more competitive and entertaining matches.
 
Turner the Cat said:
Great news.

Credit at least for reversing the decision rather than stubbonly sticking to something that clearly didn't work. Many of those matches were completely futile. We should now have some more competitive and entertaining matches.
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Exactly you have to make matches of county cricket competitive to respect the people paying their money to attend.

I am not one of those who have a go at Rob Key as think since his appointment the English test cricket team has been both a brilliant watch and improved performances

However this particular idea and his defending it at times has been indefensible.

It clearly didn’t work from the very start and now rightly scrapped

4 day cricket imo needs competitive entertaining games and this idea achieved the exact opposite
 
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Voice of fair play said:
Exactly you have to make matches of county cricket competitive to respect the people paying their money to attend.

I am not one of those who have a go at Rob Key as think since his appointment the English test cricket team has been both a brilliant watch and improved performances
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Conveniently forgetting he also appointed Matthew Mott as white ball coach :( . Mustn't have a go at Key for that appointment.
 
What a pointless experiment, what a waste of time. Playing valuable championship cricket in the summer months with the Kookaburra ball was a complete farce!!
 
Key is a dipshit. Anyone who knows anything about cricket knows the Kookaburra won't do shit in moist English conditions.
 
“I think it’s been fantastic,” said Key. “You see what four-day cricket is meant to be. I’ve watched quite a bit this week and seen some bloody good cricket. I would use the Kookaburra all the time. English cricket would be much better off for it.”

Strange!
 
I do think the kookaburra was a step too far. But English County cricket does have a problem with the way that second rate 70 mile an hour bowlers and spinners who don’t actually spin it prosper. It’s not just to make the step up to the higher level that you need real pace or genuine turn. It also makes for better championship cricket if it’s a bit harder to take wickets and you need real quality to do so.

Of course, the main reason for this is probably that they play it all in April and September. I also think the way they only ever mark pitches down if they spin, but not when 15 wickets fall to seam on day one or where they end up 700 plays 600-5 after day four, doesn’t help. Red ball cricket is better if you have to do more than just bat twice and get the higher score. It shouldn’t be too easy to bowl a side out. And as a season finale, especially in division 1, whatever some of the individual matches might have been like, this was one of the best in years. And one of the best attended. Even if a sizable part of that is down to Surrey who seem to be practically the only county to enthusiastically market the competition (and it’s still relative of course - all the other formats get more). There is a balance to be struck. But I agree the kookaburra ball gets that balance wrong.
 
Probably, thinking about successful cricket in terms of sheer pace is wrong. We all want a mix and individuality surely. And, there are fast bowlers who would benefit from stepping down in pace, Jimmy Adamson did. Aim for 80mph rather than 90! And then there's Botham, he wasn't quick at all.

Ultimately, the aim is for a balance between bat and ball. That hasn't been happening.

But paired with this, the other part of the equation is the pitch. Perhaps punishment for pitches that do too much should be given more often and soon after the event. And, the visiting team should be given a point as compensation. eg in the case of Durham and Somerset, the process took ages and Durham got nothing.
 
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