Commentators and declarations!

The near world record chase proved yet again that teams seem to be more capable of chasing down huge totals in the fourth innings. Perhaps it's the lack of a rest day, more sanitised, uniform pitches etc. but it does get rather annoying to hear commentators constantly rattling on about when captains are going to declare as if chasing anything over 350 is tough.

Guess SA can take some solace out of the failed attempt in that surely captains will be even more cautious in setting them fourth innings targets after what happened in Perth and just the other day.

Maybe 450 is the new 350.

Commentators these days only seem to talk about winning totals & always tend to forget the timeless test when England were 5/654 chasing 698. It showed that on a good surface, big scores in the fourth innings were not impossible.

It also helps if there's plenty of time though.

The other point is: most commentators feel they have to rattle on about something, constantly.

It's no doubt how the tradition of the cakes came into BBC Radio Test Match Special.

Give them something else to rattle on about, compliments and appreciations, etc ... and then stuff up some of their farqin' cake'oles for a few minutes.

While he's still alive, Richie should get his agent to set up a few masterclasses for his juniors, entitled:

"(Quality) less > (Logorrhoeic) more"

Mikey is another one of thankfully measured words (when something is not getting his goat, that is).


Radio commentators DO have a slightly harder time of it - they have to keep the listener vaguely interested without the advantage of pictures (if the comm knows his trade) partly speaking for themselves. But on radio too, there are can't-help-themslves gabblers and effective painters.


Speaking of gabblers - that's five posts in a row from me, so I'll STFU now

4 of the top 5 successful run chases in tests have been achieved with the loss of only 3 or 4 wickets. I have no doubt that these days a top class batting lineup might be able to chase down 500 or more if they had sufficient overs. It's just that top class batting lineups are rarely asked to chase 500.

Agree with Red on this one. Nein's commentators (Crappelli in particular) crapping on about what a batting captain should do re: declaration totals shits me to tears, especially given they always favour the lower, more sporting targets.

Fark that, I say. If time's aplenty, set 'em 600.

WideWally wrote:4 of the top 5 successful run chases in tests have been achieved with the loss of only 3 or 4 wickets. I have no doubt that these days a top class batting lineup might be able to chase down 500 or more if they had sufficient overs. It's just that top class batting lineups are rarely asked to chase 500.

I agree.

It's why I was confident in predicting a WR run chase during day 3 of the first Saf-Ind test.

Within the next few years we will inevitably see a 500 run chase.

That certainly seems to be Pup's magical target these days too.

I was fully expecting as I clicked this link, filled it must be said with fear and trepidation, to see yet another Red thread about Chappelli. But it isn't and he's only been mentioned once. Small mercies.

When are they going to get round to finishing that timeless test by the way?

Gary 111 wrote:I was fully expecting as I clicked this link, filled it must be said with fear and trepidation, to see yet another Red thread about Chappelli. But it isn't and he's only been mentioned once. Small mercies.

When are they going to get round to finishing that timeless test by the way?

The timeless test was another example of the batting team wimping out and not going for it.

I think the target set should be about more than just the number of runs. Maybe some cloud cover has come over when you're 350 ahead, maybe it's 10 overs before the close of play, maybe the opposition look jaded. All these things should be factored in when declaring.

JGK wrote:

Gary 111 wrote:I was fully expecting as I clicked this link, filled it must be said with fear and trepidation, to see yet another Red thread about Chappelli. But it isn't and he's only been mentioned once. Small mercies.

When are they going to get round to finishing that timeless test by the way?

The timeless test was another example of the batting team wimping out and not going for it.

The 'timeless' test was an early example of PR making claims that it couldn't cash. They should have called it the 'a lot but not a limitless amount of time' test. Then England would have probably played a few more shots.

Red wrote:The near world record chase proved yet again that teams seem to be more capable of chasing down huge totals in the fourth innings. Perhaps it's the lack of a rest day, more sanitised, uniform pitches etc. but it does get rather annoying to hear commentators constantly rattling on about when captains are going to declare as if chasing anything over 350 is tough.

Guess SA can take some solace out of the failed attempt in that surely captains will be even more cautious in setting them fourth innings targets after what happened in Perth and just the other day.

Maybe 450 is the new 350.

Nobody has chased over 450.

nonetheless I think it is only a matter of time...the bannies, lankans, windies, poms prepare flatties (there is always a strange drought in during the pom cricket season), which increases the likelihood of a team chasing down such a once improbable total

Yep I am waiting for the 100m to come down to 8.00

hehehe....cue pharmacy v chemist debate

taipan wrote:

Red wrote:The near world record chase proved yet again that teams seem to be more capable of chasing down huge totals in the fourth innings. Perhaps it's the lack of a rest day, more sanitised, uniform pitches etc. but it does get rather annoying to hear commentators constantly rattling on about when captains are going to declare as if chasing anything over 350 is tough.

Guess SA can take some solace out of the failed attempt in that surely captains will be even more cautious in setting them fourth innings targets after what happened in Perth and just the other day.

Maybe 450 is the new 350.

Nobody has chased over 450.

May have a point. 8 of the 12 highest run chases (successful or not0 have come in the last 15 years.