Four Day Tests? You Must Have Peebles in your Head

It was the cricket writer Ian Peebles who wrote back in the 1960’s that when it came to new International teams being given Test Cricket status he thought they should be given an abbreviated version than the standard five days.

The idea was dismissed.

Now 60 years on we hear that England are in negotiations to play a new Test Match playing nation, Ireland at Lords in 2019 and that the game will most likely be played over four days.

The game itself has come about after Australia cooled on the idea of playing the Irish in a one off test match. In stepped England, who may be regretting that decision following their one day international defeat to Scotland in recent days, and the word is that discussions between the two boards are “advanced.”

It has been reported that the England and Wales Cricket Board would prefer a traditional five-day test match, however time is an issue with a very quick turn around between the end of the World Cup and the start of the Ashes series.

Venues for the Ashes series have been agreed upon but not apparently the dates for the games. This means that England have a window of only 10-12 days in which they could squeeze a Test match against the new kids on the block.

Scheduling was the reason given by Cricket Australia to turn down Ireland’s invitation, preferring instead a warm up match for the Ashes against a county side.

Ireland has claimed that a Test against them will offer England’s multi-format cricketers a stern test before the Ashes series and will also be extremely lucrative. The likes of Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes, if selected, would all not have played red ball cricket for around five months, so a good hit out before taking on Australia would make sense.

The risk of course will be that those players could be horribly out of form. That a fired up Ireland could in fact be a major test for England. In fact a victory to the Test newcomers would severely dent England’s hopes going into the Ashes. To play a four day test match would certainly play into the hands of the Irish, and one would think reduce their chances of being defeated.

Certainly as an established Test nation England would be expected to defeat Ireland easily within five days, and many would say the same should happen within four. The concern for England will be finding a new set of front-line bowlers to replace an ageing Broad and Anderson. If they are still around for the Ashes don’t be surprised if they sit out the Ireland Test.

We will still have to wait and see whether it does in fact become a five day Test Match or whether the ICC approve the move to make it a Four day Test. Scheduling is, as mentioned being used as the excuse to break from the traditional format, but one has to wonder whether or not Ian Peebles argument is in fact being whispered in the background.

Peebles a former Test cricketer himself believed that those teams promoted to Test Match status lacked the depth to last five days against an established Test playing nation. He felt that all had five or six players who were up to Test standard, while each carried four to five who had not yet reached that level. Is that true of Ireland and Afghanistan? Time will no doubt tell us.

However it is worth looking at the records of those who were added to Test Match status over the years, and how long it took them to record a victory.

New Zealand were the fifth team to be granted Test status after England, Australia, South Africa and the West Indies. All bar the West Indies having started playing in the 1800’s. The West Indies won a Test match in their second series against England; two England batsmen Wilfred Rhodes and George Gunn were both over 50 years of age. They would win only two tests in their first nine years, but won a famous series victory over England straight after the War in 1947-48.

New Zealand’s first test match was played in 1930 against England. It took them until 1955 to record their first win. The win over the West Indies in Auckland was their first test win in 45 matches and 26 years.

India came into the Test Match arena in 1932. India’s first ever Test victory came against England at Madras in 1952. Buoyed by their success India’s first series victory was against Pakistan later the same year. That victory against England came in India’s 25th Test match.

Pakistan which became an independent country from India in 1947, were granted Test status in 1952 and in just their second Test defeated India.

Sri Lanka was next to gain Test Status and that was in 1982. It took them three years to record their first win in their 14th match against India. That victory also secured them their first series win. They would beat Pakistan in 1986, but then would not win again until a victory over New Zealand in 1992.

In 1992 Zimbabwe became a Test Playing nation, but like many before them they too had to wait a while for that elusive first win. This came in 1994 when they won the first test of the series v Pakistan, their 11th match. The next win came in 98/99 their 31st Test match.

Bangladesh were the last nation to be granted Test Status before Ireland and Afghanistan in 2000. They had to wait five years and until their 35th test match before they could claim that first Test win, against Zimbabwe.

When you look at these statistics it is hard to argue against the thoughts of Ian Peebles. It also gives credence to the idea that England playing Ireland over four days will be a more sporting contest; even though the established team should still come out on top.