Peak Test: yearly stats

You may or may not have noticed that the amount of test cricket being played ain't as high as it once was.

Through the 1980s, on average 26 tests were played per year.

Since then, three more test sides appeared (two afresh, one coming back from holiday) and Test cricket reached a crescendo at around the turn of the millennium as the authorities tried to ensure that each side played each other side with some sort of regularity.

1990 26
1991 21
1992 26
1993 36
1994 38
1995 40
1996 28
1997 44
1998 45
1999 43
2000 46
2001 55
2002 54
2003 44
2004 51
2005 49
2006 46
2007 31
2008 47
2009 41
2010 43
2011 39
2012 42
2013 44

The most Testy years were 2001 and 2002, with 55 and 54 tests respectively. There were three years in which over 100000 balls were delivered in test cricket.
Going by the future tours plans, it would seem that we can expect there to be about 40 per annum, though any of these Two Tier promotion/relegation ideas may change this.
The dominant teams are playing each other about as often as they used to. The weaker teams do not get played as often. Bangladesh played 33 matches in the four years from 2001-2004. From 2010-2013 they played 15 tests.

zim has completely fallen off the radar. pak hardly plays now. sl and wi try and play as less as possible

As long as they continue to play 5 Ashes Tests every 18 months.

,...and the bannies come here for their traditional flogging on pitches (that Adelaide aside) are not roads

horace wrote:,...and the bannies come here for their traditional flogging on pitches (that Adelaide aside) are not roads

The Aus pitches ARE roads. Just different types of roads to the ones found in India. Australian pitches are the Hume Highway, Indian pitches are the Oodnadatta Track. A lot of the Aus players wouldn't like driving their nice cars on that.....

disagree...the ao is a road...all the other pitches differ in character...and of course the test in pomgolia were affected by the drought

generally the best days to bat on oz pitches are days 2 and 3...day 1 usually offers the quicks a chance

After the first session of day 1, Aus pitches are FLAT. A team usually needs an out and out quick bowler to be successful in Aus. England forget that Tremlett in 2010-11 intimidated the f*ck out of Aus. This time around we had a succession of disinterested medium pacers.

Oz bowlers, even a trundler like Sids found something in the wicket

trundler like Siddle?

mid 30s...bowls a nagging accurate line...does not move the ball much...a trundler but one with some discipline

Henry wrote:

horace wrote:,...and the bannies come here for their traditional flogging on pitches (that Adelaide aside) are not roads

The Aus pitches ARE roads. Just different types of roads to the ones found in India. Australian pitches are the Hume Highway, Indian pitches are the Oodnadatta Track. A lot of the Aus players wouldn't like driving their nice cars on that.....

Have you ever been on the oodnadatta? last time I drove it you could take a ****** ferrari down it without any trouble