# Why do cricket games take so frickin' LONG?



## Chainsaw Mage

One thing I've never understood about cricket: why are the games so LONG? From what I understand, there is "normal" cricket, where the games last 3-5 *DAYS*, with about 6 hours played PER DAY.  So if I'm right in what I've read, that's about, what, 18-30 HOURS for a game!  Then there's "one day" cricket, where the game still lasts about 6 hours, I believe.

Why so long?????????

And do people actually watch the entire game????? Can television accommodate such a lengthy event?

[I hope it's clear that I'm not even remotely dissin' cricket.  I'm just quite baffled by the whole length thing.   ]


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## Infernal Teddy

Because we british gentlemen have time and patience... *Sips tea*


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## JRR_Talking

I think you will find it was played some years before TV was invented.

It can take a long time to play, but is a highly tactical sport.

there is a new form called twenty20 (hmmm..Dtwenty20!!) which is very wham bam and quick which may appeal to those who like faster sports (though probably not baseball fans, whcih seems to me to be even slower than cricket)


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## Chainsaw Mage

Okay, it is a highly tactical sport that was invented before television.  And British gentleman have patience.    

Neither response really answers the question, which is why the games take so long.  I'm not complaining, or anything;    I'm just puzzled.

American football and baseball are highly tactical sports, with much shorter games.  If a cricket game were "capped" at, say, four hours (and yes, I've heard of the new 20Twenty format--or however one phrases it   ) what would happen? 

Is the multi-day games just a matter of tradition? Or is there something inherent in the sport's rules which require such length?

Come on, cricket fans -- step up to the, err, wicket!


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## Chainsaw Mage

JRR_Talking said:
			
		

> I think you will find it was played some years before TV was invented.




Hundreds of years, in fact.  Even *I* know that, and I live in Canada.      But how does the sport play on television? Meaning, does it "work" on TV? Surely television coverage must be a major element in modern cricket.


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## Infernal Teddy

It is. And yes, it runs for days  I spent the last summer I was in the UK watching the cricket in the garden


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## delericho

Chainsaw Mage said:
			
		

> Neither response really answers the question, which is why the games take so long.  I'm not complaining, or anything;    I'm just puzzled.




In test match cricket: Each team has two innings, each of which lasts until either all ten wickets have been captured, or until the batting team 'declares'. The game has a five-day time limit, which (broadly speaking) is not extended depending on the weather. To win, you have to score more runs than the opposing team after all four innings have been concluded. If the fifth day ends before the final innings is complete, the game is a draw.

Because the innings last an undefined length of time, the game itself will inevitably last a long time.

In one-day cricket: Each team has a single innings, capped at 50 overs (300 balls bowled). To win, you must score more runs than the opposing team.

In twenty20 cricket: As one-day cricket, except an innings is capped at 20 overs (120 balls bowled).



> American football and baseball are highly tactical sports, with much shorter games.  If a cricket game were "capped" at, say, four hours (and yes, I've heard of the new 20Twenty format--or however one phrases it   ) what would happen?




One day cricket is entirely different in complexion from test match cricket. In TM cricket, it is quite common for one team to find themselves with no real chance of winning, and the game becomes a battle between the batsmen and the bowlers, with the batsmen not trying to score runs to win the game, but rather battling to stay 'in', to run down the clock.

Additionally, a cricket team will typically be made up of players with different skills: you have your top batsmen and your top bowlers. In test match cricket, everyone has to bat, and that requires a bit of caution from the top batsmen - they can't go wild in case they get put out cheaply, and the team suffers. But, with one-day cricket, it is likely that only a few people will have to bat, which means the top batsmen can be a bit more adventurous. If they lose their wicket cheaply it doesn't really matter - the next guy is probably a top batsman too.

All of the considerations with one-day cricket also apply to twenty20 cricket, but to an even greater extent.

There's probably more to it than that, but I'm not an expert on the subject. Both my father and grandfather have followed cricket for years, though, and are rather dismissive of the one-day and twenty20 forms - they like the longer strategic battles of the test match version of the game. To them, the length is a feature, not a bug.


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## Dioltach

Why do operas last so long? Why is _The Lord of the Rings_ so long? Why are romantic walks with your lover slow?

Because some things weren't created with today's rushed mentality in mind, that's why. They are what they are, and should be enjoyed as such (or avoided).


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## Chainsaw Mage

Dioltach said:
			
		

> Why do operas last so long? Why is _The Lord of the Rings_ so long? Why are romantic walks with your lover slow?
> 
> Because some things weren't created with today's rushed mentality in mind, that's why. They are what they are, and should be enjoyed as such (or avoided).





Ummm . . . thanks.  [scratches head]


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## Biohazard

Dioltach said:
			
		

> Why do operas last so long? Why is _The Lord of the Rings_ so long? Why are romantic walks with your lover slow?
> 
> Because some things weren't created with today's rushed mentality in mind, that's why. They are what they are, and should be enjoyed as such (or avoided).





Proof positive that one does not need to know anything about a given subject (in this case, cricket) to post a response on an internet thread.


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## Dr. NRG

Dioltach said:
			
		

> Why do operas last so long? Why is _The Lord of the Rings_ so long? Why are romantic walks with your lover slow?
> 
> Because some things weren't created with today's rushed mentality in mind, that's why. They are what they are, and should be enjoyed as such (or avoided).




When a walk with your lover or an opera lasts five days, it's also too friggin' long. 

NRG


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## Wilphe

Well, "because it just does" is a reasonable answer.

I recall that Test Cricket once didn't have a time limit and that all matches were played to a conclusion, nowdays this would play merry havoc with schedules. But all the cricket playing nations are a long way from each other (exception for ex-British India*, who weren't playing each other then as it was all one dominion) and when international cricket started the only way of travlling was by boat. If you've spent several months going to Australia by boat you'd want to play to a finish too.

Now with the five day limit the game may end up in a draw if they run out of time.


The ideal cricket experience is take the day off, go down to Lords, have it rain all day and have the game end in a draw without you seeing any play. Especially if the England team is bad and a draw is the best they are going to get.



* India-Pakistan is now the single highest stakes derby game in the world bar none.


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## Olaf the Stout

Infernal Teddy said:
			
		

> Because we british gentlemen have time and patience... *Sips tea*




That and England normally lose within 3 or 4 days anyway!    

Olaf the Stout


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## amethal

Olaf the Stout said:
			
		

> That and England normally lose within 3 or 4 days anyway!
> 
> Olaf the Stout



Ha! Only those who support the number one ranked test team are allowed to laugh at England, who are ranked number two.

<Looks to see where Olaf is from>

OK, forget I said anything ......


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## PieSeXual

Olaf the Stout said:
			
		

> That and England normally lose within 3 or 4 days anyway!
> 
> Olaf the Stout




Haha! About time someone said it! I so agree! The real reason that the game takes so long? Because all the other teams don't bat with the passion that us Aussies do : !!!


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## shilsen

Chainsaw Mage said:
			
		

> Ummm . . . thanks.  [scratches head]



 A big part of the appeal of Test cricket to its fans is that it tests (hence the name) both psychological and physical endurance. A batsman doesn't get to stay there for a limited period of time (as in a one-day match) but is expected to last as long as he can and score as many runs in that time as possible. The bowling team can't just restrict the other team from scoring, but has to get them all out. And then there's the issue of pure artistry, which the lengthy nature of Test cricket lets one develop and display in a manner that the shorter version doesn't. 

Personally, I much prefer watching Tests to one-dayers.


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## death tribble

Cricket is still a game for Gentlemen. And a Gentlemen takes time to do a job properly.


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## Infernal Teddy

Olaf the Stout said:
			
		

> That and England normally lose within 3 or 4 days anyway!
> 
> Olaf the Stout




Winning isn't everything though, is it?  I quite enjoy watching england vs. Australia ...


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## xrpsuzi

*Thanks*

Delericho--That was the most concise explaination of cricket I've ever read. I watched some cricket matches while we were in India, but everyone was pretty engrossed (vs. Pakistan game) and it was a little difficult to get a proper explanation of what was going on.

And I've found the difficulty of explaining "the point" of a sport universal. You should have seen my face after I finally got someone to explain American football to me in highschool. 

-suzi


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## Sidekick

Umm yeah what they said - it's long because it is....

I personally prefer to watch One Day Cricket, but I will watch and do enjoy Test Cricket. Admittedly my team ain't that good at Test so it's a bit of a sore point.

Oh and I'm picking a New Zealand v South Africa final for the World Cup. Why you might ask? Because I want us to win the Cup and there's no way in hell that's going to happen if we face the Aussies in the final...


And slightly off topic have you guys ever seen the 42 Below Vodka ads? There's this great one where the voice over says "England, we love you, you gave Cricket to the Aussies, Soccer to the Brazilians and Rugby to us Kiwi's". -> it's funny 'cause it's true


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