Test cricket continues to struggle for relevance

Test cricket continues to struggle for relevance
West Indies Jason Holder (L) plays a shot on the first day of the third Test cricket match between England and West Indies at Edgbaston in Birmingham on July 26, 2024 (AFP)
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Updated 01 August 2024
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Test cricket continues to struggle for relevance

Test cricket continues to struggle for relevance
  • Despite thrilling recent matches, the long format is losing more ground to limited-overs cricket

Devotees of Test-match cricket live in troubled times. Despite July having a thrilling match between Ireland and Zimbabwe in Belfast and a three-match series between England and the West Indies, the matches raised serious questions about the sustainability of the format. These questions are not new but are being observed in sharper relief.

It is the norm to allot five days for men’s Test matches. The one in Belfast lasted until a third of the way into the fourth day. The first one in England was concluded in slightly over two days, the second one at the end of the fourth day, and the third one by teatime on the third day.

A Test match is costly to put on and relies on not just broadcasting and sponsorship revenues but also on income from ticket sales, hospitality and in-ground sales of drinks and food. Tests which finish on day two or three mean less exposure for advertisers and sponsors, lower in-ground sales and, depending on when the match finishes, refunding of ticket income to buyers.

The reasons why the matches did not go the full distance reflect several judgmental but reasonably arguable factors. In the case of England and the West Indies, it is obvious that the latter team were inexperienced both in Test cricket and English conditions, shorn of their best players who chose to play franchise cricket. They were also under-prepared, some players arriving late from the Caribbean because of flights delayed by Hurricane Beryl.

These factors coalesced to produce a tepid performance in the first Test. Much improvement came in the second, marked by several outstanding batting achievements in the first innings that dissipated in the second.

Fighting spirit was evident in the third match, to the point where England were on the rack, only to be let off by a failure to review a decision against masterful batter, Joe Root, now seventh in the all-time list of Test match run scorers. England turned the screw and claimed victory on the third afternoon in merciless fashion. Requiring 84 to win, the target was reached in a mere 7.2 overs.

If the England team were keen to return home early, the spectators were probably not, having been deprived of a full day’s play. No doubt, the players would argue that they provided the spectators with entertainment.

In Belfast, rich entertainment was provided in a match which ebbed and flowed in the true spirit of Test cricket. Both teams suffered batting collapses at critical times, Zimbabwe’s lower order proving to be especially inept.

By contrast, Ireland’s top order collapsed in the fourth and final innings. Chasing 158 for victory, they were reduced to 21 for five. The following morning, Ireland’s batters took advantage of more favorable batting conditions to achieve a memorable victory, their second in a row out of nine played.

All 12 International Cricket Council full members have a remit to play Test cricket. It is something to which new and potential full members aspire and it remains at the pinnacle of cricket for many players and spectators alike.

However, the bonds are weakening. The World Cricketers Association conducts regular surveys amongst a sample of players. A recent survey reveals that, in the past five years, there has been a sharp increase in the proportion, especially amongst young players, who consider the T20 World Cup to be the most important ICC event.

In 2019, 85 percent of respondents ranked the 50-over World Cup as the most important ICC event, compared to 15 percent who chose the T20 World Cup. In 2024, the importance given to the ODI World Cup had fallen to 50 percent, compared with 35 percent who chose the T20 World Cup. The balance of 15 percent voted for the World Test Championship.

A sharp fall in the importance given to Test cricket also surfaced. Five years ago, 82 percent of survey respondents viewed the format as the most important one, whilst 11 percent chose T20. This year, only 48 percent of players chose Test cricket compared to 30 percent who chose T20.

A note of caution should be introduced. The surveys exclude players from India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, for whom unions do not exist. Nevertheless, the results do seem to be a fair reflection of the trends in professional cricket that are intuitively felt and have been observed in the recent England versus West Indies series.

This was not an isolated instance. Cricket South Africa sent a much-weakened side to New Zealand in January as their top players were involved in the African nation’s T20 franchise competition.

More hand-wringing can be expected if England’s series against Sri Lanka in September is one-sided. Not that England should be complacent. Their own performances in recent Test series away from home against India and Australia were marked by heavy defeats.

The relative strengths and weaknesses of Test-playing countries have always ebbed and flowed. Match durations have always varied accordingly, along with pitch and weather conditions.

Since 2000, 42 percent of Tests have gone into the fifth day and 39 percent into the fourth day. Perhaps the furor over the recent early finishes is overblown, more an outcome of the way that Test cricket is played, especially by England.

A more balanced approach would be to look at the reasons for what seems to be a growing financial and playing disparity between Test-playing countries. Apart from losing players to the lucrative T20 franchises, there is the escalating cost to national boards of hosting and preparing players for Test matches. Under the existing ICC financial model, host boards keep all revenues earned from a series.

The CEO of the England and Wales Cricket Board has said that the richer boards have a responsibility to help the poorer ones remain competitive. An example of this will be when Zimbabwe travel to England in 2025 for a one-off Test, when the ECB will pay a “touring fee.” It remains to be seen if the boards of India and Australia follow suit.

In a sport in which collective actions are not high-profile, devotees are hoping for an outbreak of collective responsibility.


US exit beach volleyball at Paris Olympics without a medal after men’s quarterfinal loss against Qatar

US exit beach volleyball at Paris Olympics without a medal after men’s quarterfinal loss against Qatar
Updated 08 August 2024
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US exit beach volleyball at Paris Olympics without a medal after men’s quarterfinal loss against Qatar

US exit beach volleyball at Paris Olympics without a medal after men’s quarterfinal loss against Qatar
  • The 21-14, 21-16 loss to the Qatari team of Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan in the quarterfinals on Wednesday made it the first American medal shutout
  • Defending men’s champions Anders Berntsen Mol and Christian Sandlie Sorum of Norway also impressed under the lights

PARIS: Miles Partain and Andy Benesh couldn’t stop the slide so the US are leaving beach volleyball at the Paris Olympics without a medal for the first time.

The 21-14, 21-16 loss to the Qatari team of Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan in the quarterfinals on Wednesday made it the first American medal shutout since the sport was added to the Olympic program at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Partain and Benesh carried American hopes with both women’s teams and the other men’s team already out of the tournament.

“I wish one of our teams did (win a medal),” Partain said. “We did the best we could.”

Benesh said the lack of American medals in the sport at the Paris Games was not necessarily because of a drop in the team’s level, but more because the general standard of play has gone up.

“It’s a little bit different than it was 20 years ago. There’s a lot of competition around the world,” Benesh said. “As a fan of beach volleyball it’s fun to watch, people are playing with different styles in men’s and women’s (competition).”

The American pair led 12-11 in the first set at Eiffel Tower Stadium, but some sloppy shot-making allowed the Qataris to pull away. Younousse and Tijan drew roars from the night-time crowd with some of their improvised moves.

“Qatar played really well,” Benesh said. “We just didn’t execute as well as them.”

The Qataris still have a chance to do better than in Tokyo three years ago, when their bronze was the first Olympic medal in beach volleyball for any Middle Eastern country.

“We are living our dream. We don’t have any expectations, we are just dreaming,” Younousse said. “It’s an amazing opportunity to play here in front of the Eiffel Tower with this amazing atmosphere.”

Defending men’s champions Anders Berntsen Mol and Christian Sandlie Sorum of Norway also impressed under the lights. They won 21-16, 21-17, beating Pablo Herrera Allepuz — a silver medalist at the 2004 Athens Games — and Adrian Gavira Collado of Spain.

Mol showed some soccer skills countryman Erling Haaland might have been proud of, rescuing a seemingly lost point with a smart flick of his right foot. The ball squirted up and Soerum won the point, then hugged Mol.

Norway clinched the first set when Mol pounced at the net for a smart block. Soerum’s spike at the net then won the match as a breeze cooled fans after some intense heat in the French capital. Mol celebrated with a spectacular backflip and Sorum didn’t bother trying to match him, settling for a comedic-looking backward roll.

They face the German pair of Clemens Wickler and Nils Ehlers in Thursday’s semifinals, while the Qataris will play Swedish jump-set specialists David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig.

In the women’s quarterfinals earlier Wednesday, the top-ranked Brazilian team of Ana Patricia Silva Ramos and Eduarda Santos Lisboa beat Anastasija Samoilova and Tina Graudina of Latvia 21-16, 21-10.

The Brazilians sank to their knees and then hugged each other after winning on the second match point when Samoilova’s serve hit the net.

“It was difficult to read their serve, there was a lot of variation,” Silva Ramos said through a translator. “But we recovered well.”

The Latvian pair had taken an early 6-0 lead over the Brazilians, but it didn’t last.

“Obviously they are better than that as a team, and brought it back to their level,” Graudina said.

Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson of Canada reached the semifinals by beating Daniela Alvarez Mendoza and Tania Moreno Matveeva of Spain 21-18, 21-18.

Canada clinched a back-and-forth first set when Moreno Matveeva served long. After winning on their second match point, the Canadians dipped under the net and celebrated in front a handful of their flag-waving fans.

In Thursday’s semifinals, the Brazilians will face the Australian team of Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy — silver medalists at the Tokyo Games three years ago — while the Canadians take on Nina Brunner and Tanja Hueberli of Switzerland.


Lin moves into Olympic gold medal fight, Hall lands 400m track title

Lin moves into Olympic gold medal fight, Hall lands 400m track title
Updated 08 August 2024
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Lin moves into Olympic gold medal fight, Hall lands 400m track title

Lin moves into Olympic gold medal fight, Hall lands 400m track title
  • Taiwanese fighter Lin Yu-ting called it “a tough journey” after claiming a unanimous points decision victory over Esra Yildiz Kahraman of Turkiye at 57kg in her semifinal
  • On the track, American sprinter Quincy Hall lunged at the line to win a gripping men’s 400 meters
  • At Golf National, home favorite Celine Boutier delighted the crowds as she cruised into a three-shot lead after the opening round of the women’s golf event

PARIS: One of the two boxers who have sparked a gender eligibility row won again at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday to ensure she has a shot at a gold medal.

Taiwanese fighter Lin Yu-ting called it “a tough journey” after claiming a unanimous points decision victory over Esra Yildiz Kahraman of Turkiye at 57kg in her semifinal.

That win came 24 hours after Algeria’s Imane Khelif reached her final.

After the decision came through, the Turk made an X sign with her fingers, just as another of Lin’s beaten opponents had done in a previous bout.

Kahraman refused to say afterwards what it meant. In most cases, males have both an X and Y chromosome, while females have two X chromosomes.

Lin and Khelif are competing in Paris despite being disqualified from the world championships last year by the International Boxing Association (IBA) after reportedly failing gender eligibility tests.

On the track, American sprinter Quincy Hall lunged at the line to win a gripping men’s 400 meters.

Hall became the fourth fastest one-lap runner in history when he denied Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith gold in a time of 43.40sec.

It ended a 16-year drought for the USA in the event. Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga took bronze.

“I don’t give up,” said Hall. “I just got grit. I grind. I got determination.

“Anything that I can think of, that’s what gets me to that line. I think of all the hurt, all the pain.”

Noah Lyles put himself in a position to go for an Olympic sprint double on Thursday, looking comfortable in finishing second in his semifinal behind Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo.

Lyles, who won the closest 100m final in modern Olympic history by just five thousandths of a second on Sunday, will be hot favorite to become the first man since Usain Bolt at the 2016 Rio Olympics to achieve the 100m-200m double.

In other athletics action in the Stade de France Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali joined an elite group of Arab double gold winners by taking his second consecutive 3,000m steeplechase title.

Only his Moroccan compatriot Hicham El Guerrouj, who won 1500m and 5,000m gold at Athens 2004, and Tunisian swimmer Oussama Mellouli (1500m freestyle in Beijing 2008 and 10km marathon in London 2012) have achieved the feat.

Jamaica’s Roje Stona achieved an upset men’s discus win and Nina Kennedy took Australia’s first ever pole vault Olympic title.

Keegan Palmer of Australia won his second consecutive Olympic men’s park skateboard title with some spectacular moves.

American rapper Snoop Dogg was among the fans at the Place de la Concorde venue to see if Palmer could retain the title he won when skateboarding made its Olympic debut in Tokyo three years ago.

The US-born 21-year-old did not disappoint, leading from start to finish. American Tom Schaar won silver and Brazil’s Augusto Akio bronze.

Keegan said his goal was to skate on to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics — providing he can keep his younger rivals at bay. “Definitely the goal is to do Brisbane because it’s where I grew up, it’s where I learned to skate,” he said.

“But you’ve just got to keep up with these kids coming through because skateboarding is a young generation sport.”

At Golf National, home favorite Celine Boutier delighted the crowds as she cruised into a three-shot lead after the opening round of the women’s golf event.

Boutier poured in eight birdies in a brilliant seven-under-par round of 65.

South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai is second, while reigning champion Nelly Korda battled back from a poor opening stretch of holes to finish on even par, seven strokes behind Boutier.

The first gold of the weightlifting program went to Li Fabin, who retained his Olympic 61-kilogramtitle.

In track cycling, Australia ended a 20-year wait to claim the Olympic men’s team pursuit gold medal while the road race champion from these Games, Kristen Faulkner, helped power the United States to the women’s title.

On another lightning quick day at the velodrome, Dutch star Harrie Lavreysen shattered the men’s sprint world record, stopping the clock at 9.088sec.

Host nation France were eliminated in men’s handball, an event they had hoped would produce a gold medal, when the reigning champions lost 35-34 to Germany.

In other developments, Australian Olympic field hockey player Tom Craig was arrested on suspicion of buying cocaine from a dealer in Paris. His team said he was later released with a warning from a French judge.

In the medals table, the USA moved onto 27 golds, two ahead of China while Australia moved into third place with 18 golds.


Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali retains Olympic steeplechase title

Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali retains Olympic steeplechase title
Updated 07 August 2024
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Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali retains Olympic steeplechase title

Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali retains Olympic steeplechase title
  • El Bakkali timed 8min 06.05sec for victory with American Kenneth Rooks taking silver in 8:06.41
  • The 28-year-old El Bakkali arrived in Paris with a target on his back, having won the last three global championships

PARIS: Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali retained his Olympic 3000m steeplechase title on Wednesday to become just the third Arab to win double gold.
El Bakkali timed 8min 06.05sec for victory with American Kenneth Rooks taking silver in 8:06.41 and Kenya’s Abraham Kibiwot claiming bronze (8:06.47).
The 28-year-old El Bakkali arrived in Paris with a target on his back, having won the last three global championships.
After first triumphing at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, when he became the first non-Kenyan runner to win the Olympic steeplechase title since 1980, he confirmed his status with back-to-back victories in world championships in Eugene and Budapest.
His second Olympic gold in the French capital leaves him in rare company among Arab athletes to have doubled up at the Summer Games.
Only his Moroccan compatriot Hicham El Guerrouj, who won 1500m and 5,000m gold in Athens 2004, and Tunisian swimmer Oussama Mellouli (1500m freestyle in Beijing 2008 and 10km marathon in London 2012) have achieved the feat.


Brazilians smash beach volleyball opponents in Olympic march

Brazilians smash beach volleyball opponents in Olympic march
Updated 07 August 2024
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Brazilians smash beach volleyball opponents in Olympic march

Brazilians smash beach volleyball opponents in Olympic march
  • The top-seeded Brazilians quickly regained and overtook lost ground to secure the first set
  • The duo made it look easy as they romped to victory in just 32 minutes

PARIS: Women’s beach volleyball favorites Brazil resolutely ended the Olympic hopes of their Latvian opponents in the women’s quarter-finals Wednesday, continuing their unbeaten streak in a defiant Paris Games.
Ana Patricia Silva Ramos and Eduarda Santos Lisboa fought Latvian pair Tina Graudina and Anastasija Samoilova in a game which showcased their deserved reputation as world-class players.
The pair took a while to find their footing, however, making clunky errors in the opening minutes that saw the Latvians claim an easy first six points — before the fightback began.
The top-seeded Brazilians quickly regained and overtook lost ground to secure the first set, and by the second set there was no doubt who was in charge.
The duo made it look easy as they romped to victory in just 32 minutes, winning the second set 21/10 to the delight of an army of Brazilian fans filling the stands of the stadium in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.
Supporters in green and yellow T-shirts, hats and wigs waved flags, whooping and whistling every point as though it was a gold medal.
The Brazilian victors ran around the stadium after the game, posing for photos and high-fiving fans who lingered despite the best efforts of security to usher them out.
Silva Ramos and Santos Lisboa first teamed up in 2014 to win the gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games, but competed with different partners in Tokyo 2020 — with less successful results — and decided to reunite again for Paris.
They will now face Tokyo 2020 silver medallists Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar from Australia in the semifinals on Thursday at 9:00 p.m. (1900 GMT).
In the day’s earlier quarter-final, Spain’s Daniela Alvarez Mendoza and Tania Moreno Matveeva took on a dominant Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson from Canada.
Every point hard was fought-for as the score sheet crawled up matching point by point, with fans on their feet as an ecstatic Canadian pair snatched victory to secure the final point.
Wearing distinctive one-shoulder white bikinis and colorful reflective sunglasses, Humana-Paredes and Swiss-born Wilkerson bettered their Tokyo record, where they made it as far as the quarter-finals.
They will now play Switzerland’s Tanja Hueberli and Nina Brunner in the earlier semifinal on Thursday evening.
The first two women’s quarter-finals were played Tuesday in a tense session where Hueberli and Brunner ended the campaign of the women’s world champions, US duo Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng.
The second round of the men’s quarter finals will be played later Wednesday.


Ngannou to make MMA return against Ferreira in PFL bout

Ngannou to make MMA return against Ferreira in PFL bout
Updated 07 August 2024
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Ngannou to make MMA return against Ferreira in PFL bout

Ngannou to make MMA return against Ferreira in PFL bout
  • ‘Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact’ happens on Oct. 19
  • Cris ‘Cyborg’ to face Larissa Pacheco in world title fight on same bill

NEW YORK: MMA superstar and undisputed heavyweight champion of the world Francis ‘The Predator’ Ngannou (17-3) will make his return to the sport on Oct. 19, when he faces the 2023 PFL heavyweight champion Renan “Problema” Ferreira (13-3, 3 NC) for the new PFL Super Fights championship belt.

The co-main event will feature another world title fight between the greatest women’s MMA fighter of all-time, Cris “Cyborg” (27-2, 1 NC), whose legacy will be on the line when she takes on two-division champion Larissa Pacheco (23-4).

The location and venue of the fights will be announced at a later date by the PFL.

“The Professional Fighters League is excited to announce the highly anticipated return of superstar, undisputed heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou to MMA in ‘The Battle of the Giants’ against the most feared heavyweight, 6 feet 8 inch 2023 PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira in the biggest world title fight of the year,” PFL CEO Peter Murray said.

“On Oct. 19 live on ESPN+ in the US and DAZN worldwide, MMA fans around the world will witness a true battle of the greatest fighters on the planet competing for the PFL Super Fights championship belts.”

Ngannou said: “Renan is a great fighter, I have been watching him for years. I have been studying him for years, in fact I’ve been telling people to watch this guy. He’s quite unique, he’s athletic, fast, his size doesn’t impress me as much as his skill.”

MMA fans have been waiting for more than two years for Ngannou’s return. In that time, much has changed in the combat sports landscape, including the promotion for which “The Predator” competes.

Now, following a two-fight game-changing run in the boxing ring against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, Ngannou is returning to face the Brazilian who has fought eight times since Ngannou’s last MMA bout and who viciously finished his last four opponents, including February’s 21-second thrashing of longtime Bellator champion Ryan Bader.

“Cyborg” is considered the greatest women’s athlete in MMA history, fighting and defeating the best featherweights in the world for almost 20 years.

Never one to shy away from fighting the best, Larissa Pacheco, a fellow Brazilian, is currently on a 10-fight winning streak, with victories against Kayla Harrison and former Bellator champion Julia Budd.

Both world champions have cleaned out their divisions and now will fight for the right to claim to be the best in the world.