Of fantasy flight and angry croc: Tradition on the wane
DIMINISHING Warmup games have thrown up stories and more but they have reduced substantially
NEW DELHI: During a warm-up game against Queensland in the 1990-91 Ashes, David Gower and John Morris snuck out to a nearby airfield to fly a Tiger Moth biplane dangerously low above the Carrara Oval. Had it not been for a tipoff by one of the pilots, a photographer wouldn’t have recognised them.
By the time they had touched down, England’s management was ready to make a public example of them. Gower was fined 1027 pounds and England, already down 0-2, went on to lose 3-0. In the Wisden Cricket Monthly, David Firth wrote how the incident further robbed England’s chances of a probable comeback. “The fines should ensure that no England player in future will even dare to look up from his crossword puzzle while a match is in progress,” Firth wrote.
Apart from the obvious bit about getting acquainted with the conditions, warm-ups and breaks between Tests also serve as an opportunity to cool the heels --- go angling or hiking and just have fun. Like how a croc scared the daylights out of Moeen Ali trying to snap at the bait lowered for it in a sanctuary in Townsville.
And when the Ashes is around, can alcohol be very far? Ask Ian Botham who had decided on a hot Perth afternoon in 1986 that energy drinks won’t quite quench his thirst. So large pints of shandy it was for Beefy.
An Ashes contest Down Under has always provided memorable moments not only on the cricket field but also off it. While the media glare on Test matches can’t be dodged, warm-ups were a way to unwind even while getting a good measure of the conditions and opponents. Over the years though, especially due to the onslaught of Twenty20s and ODIs, the warm-up games are dwindling. Take the 1994-95 Ashes where five Tests were preceded and punctuated by 13 warm-up games. Total span of the Tests and warm-up games --- a stunning 105 days. the Ashes though, the number of warm-ups has reduced to four (see graphic). The reason though, is understandable. In the 70s and the 80s, there were fewer Test teams. Apart from the Ashes, only the West Indies-England or Australia-West Indies counted as marquee series although later, India-Pakistan joined the bandwagon.
But even then there was enough time on hand since ODIs were still a novelty and looked down upon by many. That’s a sea change from the cramped calendar that we have now. In the past, Test match series were easily five or six-match affairs. Now, only the Ashes and India-England are five-Test rubbers.
DEMANDS OF THE GAME
The graphic clearly shows how in the 80s, England played many warm-ups and spent considerably more time in Australia for the Ashes. One-day games started getting slotted in the mid 80s and the 90s. Still, by the 90s, the number of warm-up games had reached a peak.
From the 80s till the mid-90s, the schedule of the Ashes normally used to be two Tests at the start, followed by tri-series ODIs and then three Tests towards the end until February.
Perth, currently hosting the third Test, used to be the final Test of the Australian summer earlier. In the 80s, Sydney Tests used to have a rest day in the middle. And during the 1986-87 series, the gap between the Boxing Day Test and the New Year Test was 13 days!
From 2006, the scheduling has changed considerably. This Ashes, England have played only three warm-up games before the Brisbane Test. The fourth warm-up game will be held in Perth after the second Test. But considering how long the Ashes used to be even two decades back, the relevance of warm-ups clearly is on the wane.
IN THE PAST, TEST
MATCH SERIES WERE EASILY FIVE OR SIXMATCH AFFAIRS. NOW, ONLY THE ASHES AND INDIAENGLAND ARE FIVETEST RUBBERS.