Test matches still the pinnacle.

We often compare the entertainment value of sport. Since the advent of T20 it has been a debate between "new age high excitement value" supporters and purists about which format is gaining ascendancy over the other in the popularity stakes.

There is a new way thinking when looking at the BBL, IPL and other similar competitioins that Test cricket is losing ground to these shorter formats. So it got me thinking, we have seen some brilliant test series over the past few years, and just looking at the last season we saw Pakistan whitewash England in the UAE, we saw England just the other day beat India in India, SA beat australia and England away from home last year.

So overall test results have been encouraging. Lots of series results and not really all that many draws. It got me thinking about what percentage of tests do actually produce results. SomI pulled out the stats for the last decade just to see what it looked like.


In Bangladesh 32 matches 4 draws - 12.5%
In South Africa 48 matches 7 draws - 14.6%
In Australia 62 matches 9 draws - 14.6%
In England 68 matches 16 draws - 23.5%
In Pakistan 23 matches 8 draws - 34.8%
In Sri Lanka 48 matches 17 draws - 35.4%
In West Indies 47 matches 17 draws - 36.2%
In India 48 matches 18 draws - 37.5%
In the UAE 10 matches 4 draws - 40%

In total 386 matches 100 draws - 25.9%


i am too lazy to go back into other era's, but I am pretty much satisfied with the percentage of Test matches that produce results.

The draw stat is an interesting one.

The perecentage in recent decades is as follows:

1960s - 47%
1970s - 42 %
1980s - 46 %
1990s - 36 %
2000s - 25 %
2010- - 26 %

So, the trend is less and less.

To qualify that the trend since 2000 is actually a little odd. Although the headline percentage is down, there were actually more draws since 2006, than before 2006. Which might suggest that the trend won't continue. Also, as Biltong usefully points out Australia and SA have hosted remarkably few draws, whilst the sub-continent has something more approaching 1990s levels. If we take out the anomalies of Bangladesh and Zimbabwe (where if Bangladesh and Zimbabwe weren't always playing there might be a lot more draws), we would probably find that the percentage is in fact not much changed from the '90s onwards.

Shelsey93 wrote:The draw stat is an interesting one.

The perecentage in recent decades is as follows:

1960s - 47%
1970s - 42 %
1980s - 46 %
1990s - 36 %
2000s - 25 %
2010- - 26 %

So, the trend is less and less.

To qualify that the trend since 2000 is actually a little odd. Although the headline percentage is down, there were actually more draws since 2006, than before 2006. Which might suggest that the trend won't continue. Also, as Biltong usefully points out Australia and SA have hosted remarkably few draws, whilst the sub-continent has something more approaching 1990s levels. If we take out the anomalies of Bangladesh and Zimbabwe (where if Bangladesh and Zimbabwe weren't always playing there might be a lot more draws), we would probably find that the percentage is in fact not much changed from the '90s onwards.

Ya you are right. But even the drawn matches have created a thriller like the BOND movies. If we look at the third test between SA and Aussies at Adelaide we will look that as the time was passing thriller level was rising. With every bowl FDP faced created an excitement in the mind. The same was the case with the last test between India And WI in 2011 which though resulted in a draw but the scores were level. I think despite these percentage the class and fine cricket that we will get in a test match we will not get in any format of this game. Although the thriller matches were less but they remain in the mind for long. As per Dravid we should shift the cricket smaller formats to small venues. In India these days One day matches were shifted to small venues like Ranchi or Dharmshala. This provides an opportunity for the big cities to bring people for test matches. Earlies shorter formats were also played at the same venue where test was played so people prefer the shorter formats but now surely we will see crowd for the test also. And ya results also plays an important role in bringing the crowd.

It depends on which countries you are talking about....Test matches are still packed out in England, but they are declining in Australia and India. The crowds for Tests are almost non-existent in Sri Lanka, West Indies, New Zealand, South Africa, and yet when T20s are staged in those four countries, the crowds are much larger. That's the reality...very few people have the time or interest in the five-day game.

Shiv, I agree with you in terms of crude crowds (though I'd say India has probably picked up a bit if anything in the last 5 years). However, I don't see that as a measure of interest - see this article I wrote before Xmas http://jacksheldoncricket.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/test-attendances-in-decline-maybe-but.html

Not for Suresh Raina it isn't.

shivfan wrote:It depends on which countries you are talking about....Test matches are still packed out in England, but they are declining in Australia and India. The crowds for Tests are almost non-existent in Sri Lanka, West Indies, New Zealand, South Africa, and yet when T20s are staged in those four countries, the crowds are much larger. That's the reality...very few people have the time or interest in the five-day game.

I beg to differ about crowds in SA, holiday tests are always well supported, it is when tests are played other times of the year that we don't get lots, but that has always been the case

Biltong wrote:

shivfan wrote:It depends on which countries you are talking about....Test matches are still packed out in England, but they are declining in Australia and India. The crowds for Tests are almost non-existent in Sri Lanka, West Indies, New Zealand, South Africa, and yet when T20s are staged in those four countries, the crowds are much larger. That's the reality...very few people have the time or interest in the five-day game.

I beg to differ about crowds in SA, holiday tests are always well supported, it is when tests are played other times of the year that we don't get lots, but that has always been the case

But in contrast, wouldn't you say, the ODIs and T20s in South Africa are well-attended?

Talking out of my West Indies hat...last year I attended the last two days of the Windies Test against Australia at Bridgetown, a Test that the Windies were dominating until they imploded, and the crowds were extremely poor, even though the Windies had started so well.

In contrast, the following T20 matches were played before packed crowds in the recent Caribbean T20 tournament in Trinidad and St Lucia:

Trinidad vs Guyana
Windwards vs Trinidad
Windwards vs Guyana
Jamaica vs Guyana (neutral venue)
Trinidad vs Guyana (neutral venue)

shivfan wrote:

Biltong wrote:

shivfan wrote:It depends on which countries you are talking about....Test matches are still packed out in England, but they are declining in Australia and India. The crowds for Tests are almost non-existent in Sri Lanka, West Indies, New Zealand, South Africa, and yet when T20s are staged in those four countries, the crowds are much larger. That's the reality...very few people have the time or interest in the five-day game.

I beg to differ about crowds in SA, holiday tests are always well supported, it is when tests are played other times of the year that we don't get lots, but that has always been the case

But in contrast, wouldn't you say, the ODIs and T20s in South Africa are well-attended?

Talking out of my West Indies hat...last year I attended the last two days of the Windies Test against Australia at Bridgetown, a Test that the Windies were dominating until they imploded, and the crowds were extremely poor, even though the Windies had started so well.

In contrast, the following T20 matches were played before packed crowds in the recent Caribbean T20 tournament in Trinidad and St Lucia:

Trinidad vs Guyana
Windwards vs Trinidad
Windwards vs Guyana
Jamaica vs Guyana (neutral venue)
Trinidad vs Guyana (neutral venue)

ODI's and T20 are almost always full, but it is much easier to go watch a day night match when you can go after work and only miss the first 15 20 overs. As opposed to tests where you can't watch a day's play.

Look at it this way, a T20 is 3 hours an ODI is from 14h30 in the afternoon. where as during working hours you miss an entire days play.

I think that, in essence, highlights exactly what the problem is with Test cricket these days....

Don't get me wrong - I personally prefer Test cricket to any other format. But the only cricket match I can drag my wife and kids to is T20 cricket. When you look at Caribbean crowds for Test cricket, they're all men on my side of 40, while when you look at similar crowds for T20 cricket, there are a lot more women and children....

shivfan wrote:I think that, in essence, highlights exactly what the problem is with Test cricket these days....

Don't get me wrong - I personally prefer Test cricket to any other format. But the only cricket match I can drag my wife and kids to is T20 cricket. When you look at Caribbean crowds for Test cricket, they're all men on my side of 40, while when you look at similar crowds for T20 cricket, there are a lot more women and children....

I pretty much only go watch test cricket these days in SA. I find that it is not worth my time to struggle to find parking for a 2 hour affair after the IPL's where held here. I do the odd ODI, but test matches are cheaper and it is a whole day trip.

The whole build up is exciting - The doctoring of your oranges and/or your coke and preperation of your sarmies etc really builds up the hype around the game. The whole picknick feel for the whole day appeals to me.

Even though I just go watch one day per match when I can (normally the 3rd) I still watch the test on television, and I think most people around me do too. The best days are also normally scheduled for over the weekend so I think those days will be well supported. The week days won't be