It’s full steam ahead for day-night Test cricket with four Australian venues vying for ground-breaking clashes against New Zealand and possibly the West Indies next season.
Pushing hard for viewer-friendly Tests under lights, Cricket Australia has been delighted by the improvement of the pink ball trialled in this week’s round of Sheffield Shield matches.
Early player feedback has been surprisingly positive towards the new Kookaburra ball which made for an even contest between batsman and bowler in Adelaide, Perth and Hobart.
All three venues, plus Brisbane’s Gabba, are strongly in the mix to host the inaugural day-night Test when the Black Caps start their three-Test series against Australia next November.
Cricket operations manager Sean Cary also revealed that CA is in talks with the West Indies cricket board for their three-Test series to kick off under lights just before Christmas.
Although he acknowledged some more improvements needed to be made, Cary was confident at least one day-night Test would be on the 2015-16 calender.
“We’re certainly taking some really good steps forward,” he told AAP.
“I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see the steps we’ve progressed from the (experimental Shield) round played last summer.
“One of the genuine differences was there was genuine swing at all three venues and the ball retained its hardness and natural sheen for a lot longer.
“We’re getting close but there’s a couple more steps we can take.”
While the new ball – including green stitching on the seam – is brighter than it’s predecessor, one concern is the difficulty spectators had in sighting it during the transition period when the lights start to take effect at dusk.
There were also a number of collapses in the three matches but Cary argued they weren’t limited to the more difficult twilight period.
West Australian batsman Sean Marsh showed good batting could prevail with a century compiled under lights, while spinners were also successful with Johan Botha and Steve O’Keefe picking up bags of wickets.
The more abrasive Adelaide Oval also witnessed reverse swing late on day one when South Australia kept their ball in use for 93 overs.
The improved quality of the Kookaburra has seen the MCC ask to use it in their annual March match against the English county champions instead of the powdery pink Duke, which is also used in the Caribbean.
Adelaide and Hobart’s superior lighting has them well in the mix for a day-night Test but the climatic advantages of Brisbane and Perth – where the ball also retains its hardness and sheen for longer – could see the Gabba and WACA as favourites for the first pink-ball Test.
“There are many considerations that need to be taken and we’re no closer to determining the final venue now other than to say that all four have good strong points to suggest they could easily host a day-night Test match,” Cary said.
