Test cricket: then and now
In the sport of cricket, Test cricket is considered to be the highest form of competition. It’s also the longest, consisting of four innings over a maximum of five days. Becoming a “Test team” is the ultimate goal of any cricket team, and one that Ireland has been chasing for years. A recent provision stated that Ireland would be included in a possible second tier of Test status.Test-cricket is a type of first-class cricket, which refers to matches of a certain standard held over three or more days. The International Cricket Council is responsible for appointing the umpires and referees which preside at all official Test matches, and also determines the “Test status” of a team.Test cricket officially began on March 15, 1977, when Australia beat England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. England won the second match, tying the series. Today, 10 countries hold a Test team. In order of longest to shortest lifespan, these are: Australia, England, South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh. Zimbabwe is currently suspended from Test play, but intends to return to the game by 2011.A typical day during a test cricket match consists of three two-hour sessions, along with a 40-minute lunch break and a 20-minute tea break. Time extensions can be allowed to make up for bad weather or if a total of 90 overs have not been bowled during the day.Test cricket has had its share of superstars over the years. Donald Bradman, an Australian batsman, is renowned not only within the sport, but is also said to hold the greatest statistical achievement in any sport with his Test batting average of 99.94. His name (i.e. “Bradmanesque”) has become synonymous with greatness in many cricket-following parts of the world. English bowler Jim Laker is also celebrated, especially for being the first to take all 10 wickets in a Test match in 1956. Only one other bowler, Anil Kumble of India, has reproduced this feat. Test cricket continues to enthrall viewers all over the world, although the popularity of one-day cricket has drawn some attention away from the matches. The ICC instituted its Test Championship system in 1996in this competition, all Test teams play each other in rotation and are awarded points, with the Championship team holding the official ICC Test Championship Mace. In January 2011, India was leading the Championship with a rating of 129. Bangladesh was the lowest-rated team with a rating of 7.