Australia v New Zealand – Adelaide Test Day 1: Pink

 

It was always going to be a controversial start to the game.

Only one word was heralded to describe the commencement of the first day – night Test Match in History. PINK

The only colour that has caused more controversy than my time on earth is black.

The Adelaideans have been on tenterhooks, likewise Cricket Australia and most of all the man from SACA Keith Bradshaw. Bradshaw had fought hard for this game and the two national bodies had backed him up.

The day is marvellous. The teams look competitive and we all know the crowd will attend for the “first of”. However there is more to a game of cricket than ticking all the boxes.

Other nations will be looking closely not at the result of the game but at the result of the gate takings. Money is cricket and cricket is money nowadays. Nothing else matters

If it is a good game that will be a bonus. But we always see good games at Adelaide don’t we?

It’s 1.45pm and the crowd is rolling in – as expected. The members is three-quarters full. Both ends of the ground are filling up buy surprisingly the Footy Stands e.g. Wanganeen, Oatey, Basheer, Williams and Ricciuto are sparsely populated.

Always liked the way Adelaide presents the start of their Test. 48 young singers make up the choir and it “looks good”. Whether the Australian players can belt out their national anthem but we know the team from across the ditch will use their vocals to best advantage.

Bradman (Greta) made the difference – the Aussie boys sang with fine accord. It takes a Bradman.

Trivia questions. To impress

Who bowled the first pink ball in a Test match – Mitchell Starc?

Who scored the first pink run in a Test match – Martin Guptill.

At the end of 2 overs there are 27,000 fans in attendance and they are still moving steadily. The members is nearly fill and they are the ones watching the game.

Trivia Questions

Who took the first pink ball wicket in a Test match – Josh Hazelwood

Who was the batsman – Martin Guptill (1)

A good ball by Hazlewood which nipped back a bit to find Guptill plumb 1/7

First four – Kane Williamson

Williamson as usual is in control right from the start and Latham continues.

It comes as a surprise when Williamson (22) goes LBW to Starc 2/59. Although he did not take the wicket it was Siddle‘s tight bowling that played a major role in the champions dismissal.

Latham was showing his best batting so far in the series and was playing with composure and Taylor was continuing on from Perth

At tea New Zealand 2/80 with the first era of pink ball being very even.

Don’t know what all the players had for tea… Surely it is not “tea”? Where I come from (the bush) “tea” is the night meal.

Great captaincy and swift bowling changes by Smith saw Lyon, Siddle and Starc all take wickets caught Nevill. Peter Nevill I would suggest really loves the pink ball. His catch to dismiss Latham (50) of Lyon was a ripper. The others to go Taylor (21) of the work horse Siddle and Starc took his second when he had McCallum (4) taken 5/98

Took a walk to the back of the members at tea time and the hardest workers when the day’s play ends tonight will definitely be the police and security people. Already the number of members starting to sway their way through the day was conspicuous and they still had 5 hours to go!.

The crowd is coming in now and The Man from SACA can rest easy.

Mitchell Santner, the 23year old Northern Districts play making his debut was coming under a baptism of fire as the Australian bowlers were well on top.

He looks good and three fours he struck early in his innings showed class.

As the light is becoming duller the ball is standing out surprisingly and it’s great for both spectators and players alike.

At 5.30pm the crowd is around 40,000 people in attendance and people are still coming. Condolences to police and security.

Santner (31) goes! After a classy cameo (7 fours) he becomes over ambitious and Starc get one through the gap. Starc has 3/24 of 9 overs and New Zealand are now 6/142. Will the game go 4 days?

Craig (11) plays a couple of his usual classy shots but is bowled by a beauty from Lyon 7/164

The Australian bowling attack has been consistent throughout and has deserved the success although the NZedders have played some rash shots.

6.20pm and the lights come on for the first time in a Pinky Test match. Tea and New Zealand are 7/173.

The crowd is abuzz and I have never seen so many people out the back of the member’s area even during a day test. The Man from S.A.C.A. must be sitting back in his office with the biggest smile since The Joker performed a dastardly deed on Batman.

Watling (29) follows his compatriots. A good start then a terrible shot of Josh Hazlewood 8/184.

Southee swats Hazlewood for six. He really enjoys his cricket.

Siddle gets his 200th Test wicket. Bracewell (11) fails to get on to one and holes out to Joe Burns 9/194. It has been a fine career from the wood chopper and his grin tells it all not to mention his Movember.

Tim Southee(16) doesn’t like mucking around. He wants to get the Pinky in his hand but he is dropped by Voges when he skies Hazlewood… It doesn’t last and he skies Hazlewood to Warner. All out 202

A fine effort by the Australian bowlers with Starc and Hazlewood 3 each and Siddle and Lyon 2 apiece.

The Australian innings commences in what will be the real testing time for everyone connected with the game. One hour and 20 minutes to play and conditions really suiting Boult and Southee.

A survey has just come through showing that 43.4% won’t be sure of how they feel about night tests until after this game. 37.39% of participants however stated that this is the future of the game. So far the people have spoken through their attendance and the results of the survey.

Warner (1) goes cheaply. The prolific Australian opener is well caught at second slip by Southee of Trent Boult. A great start for the Black Caps.

Australia consolidate with Burns and Smith looking solid until Burns (14) plays on to Bracewell.

The official attendance has just gone up – 47, 441 a new record for a Day-Night-Pink Ball – Test Match.

The score goes to 2/41 and I think I have lost my wallet. I am anxious and suddenly cricket has become secondary to me as a person.

I am filing this article now. Good night and hopefully I will have good news for me in the morning.

About Bob Utber

At 84 years of age Citrus Bob is doing what he has always done since growing up on a small farm at Lang Lang. Talking, watching and writing sport and in recent years writing books. He lives in Mildura with his very considerate wife (Jenny) and a groodle named 'Chloe on Flinders' and can be found at Deakin 27 every day.

Comments

  1. Starc injury troublesome.

    That Kiwi tweaker is OK. Imagine if he had two arms!?

  2. Manny Koufalakis says

    Being red green colour blind I found that I lost the ball on TV just before it bounced in front of the batsman.
    Must be the shade of the pitch was too close to that of the ball.
    It might be different if I was at the ground .
    Maybe they could colour the pitch black on transmission just for me! There’s an idea.

  3. Brin Paulsen says

    Morning Bob, thanks for the recap. From the TV coverage it certainly looked like the pink ball did it’s job and that the day/ night test concept was wholeheartedly endorsed by what must have been half the population of Adelaide along with a few blow-ins. The crowd certainly looked like they were having a good time.

    I for one have to say I’m willing to jump straight on the bandwagon at this point. It helped that the day’s play was the most entertaining we’ve seen for a while and that there didn’t appear to be any immediate issues with batsmen seeing the ball out of the bowler’s hand (although Manny suggests that on TV it gets a little trickier – someone needs to check with Buck Rogers to see how he goes at the ground?).

    From my view, on the couch with a beer after a week of work, it was all bloody glorious. As a Queenslander I’ve always loved the WACA test because it’s the equivalent of a day/ night game for us with the time difference. The cynic in me wonders if CA doctored the GABBA and WACA pitches to be the dire, lifeless, roads that they were just to entice all us mugs back in a little further when a true contest between bat and ball occurred (coincidentally with this new pink ball we’ve got, and during this new day/ night format – what a surprise!?)

    A real shame to see Starc limp off. Santner looks all of 11 years old but appeared to have a little something about him. The Kiwi Joe Root?

    Also Bob, those first three lines of the piece – cracking! Thanks again.

    Brin

  4. Thanks Bob. The bits and pieces I watched was back to Test Cricket at its challenging best, with the grass covered but dry pitch offering bounce and a real contest between bat and ball.
    Wonderful after the Gabba and WACA dross.
    The garden beckons today as an excuse for cricket on the radio and the big screen through the patio window. That’s more like it.
    Hope you find your wallet. Very distressing. It often used to happen to me on the way home from Morphettville on a Saturday!

  5. Thanks Citrus.
    Test cricket looks to be back.

    Hope your wallet & equanimity were both returned.

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