Eden Park - results and stats. Previewing Day/Night Test 22 March 2017.

I have taken the liberty of reviewing the previous 10 tests at The Garden.  One thing to note - 8 of 10 tests were low scoring affairs.  The 10th was the last when BMac lashed to all parts.

I found this hard to fathom as Eden Park has long had a reputation for being boundary friendly, but not necessarily so.

In those last 10 tests we have had 5 wins, 2 draws and 3 losses, not a bad record all round.  Below are the stat's (Blackcap players only)

Zimbabwe 1998 NZ Win by Innings and 13 runs.

Horne  157  Astle  114

Doull  two 4 fors.

South Africa - 1999- Drawn

Horne 93

Australia 2000  -  NZ Loss by 62 runs

Vettori  7- 87

Pakistan - 2001 - NZ Loss by 299 runs

Martin and Tuffey 4 fors.

  England - 2002 - NZ 78 Run Win

Tuffey  6 for 54

South Africa - 2004  -  NZ 9 wicket win.

Martin 11 wickets - 180

Styris  170

Cairns  158

Oram 90

Australia  -  2005  -  NZ 9 Wicket loss

Franklin 6 - 119

West Indies  2006 - NZ 27 run win.

Styris  103*

Bond 5 - 69

England - 2013 - Drawn

Fulton 136 and 110 (nice!!)

Williamson 91 and 4 for 44.

Boult  6-68

India  -  2014 -  NZ win by 40 runs.

Williamson  113

McCullum - 224

Wagner 4 for and 4 for (8 Wickets)

So given those figures, it appears that results are hard to come by for visiting teams.  2 out of 10 seem a turn out of the blue as high scoring and result driven.  With that in mind it is fair to say despite the advent of day/night cricket it's going to be a bit dicey for both teams anyway.  Essentially it's a clean slate with which both teams will have to feel their way.  Unless two or three batsmen use T20 form to take advantage of the awkward boundary positions.

And a footnote - between 2006 and 2014 (inclusive) there have been only 3 tests (2006, 2013 and 2014)

The Day/Night Test stats.

2018

England versus Blackcaps.

Won by NZ in an innings and 49 runs.

Williamson 102
Nichols  145
Boult 6 for 32 and 3 for 67 (9 for)
Southee  4 for 25.

India's Kanpur Green Park stadium - last 10 Test stats.

See addition to this post for update on NZC efforts compared to other teams playing India at the two venues.

I wasn't aux fais with this venue so decided to go back a little in history to see how India progressed in their first innings on the park given BLACKCAPS restriction of their much vaunted hosts.  I have tallied the last ten tests at the venue dating back to 1979.

There doesn't appear to be any consistency, though India's last 6 innings have seen a decided increase in first innings totals, against all opposition, and wins.

Stats

10 innings - 1 loss, 5 drawn and 4 wins out of last 5 matches.

Scores (1 = Bat first, 2 Bat second)

Layout for stats below -

(Opposition, India result, Dates, score, Innings)

Pakistan -  Drawn  Dec 79  162  1
England  - Drawn  Jan/Feb 82  377  2
Windies  - Lost  Oct 83  207  2
England - Drawn  Jan/Feb 84  553  1
Sri Lanka -  Drawn  Dec 86  676  2
South Africa -  Won  Dec 96  237  1
New Zealand - Won  Oct 99  330  2
South Africa  -  Drawn  Nov 04  466  2
South Africa  -  Won  Apr 08  325  2
Sri Lanka  -  Won  Nov 09   642  1

ADDED 5/10/2016

Tabulated list of results in tests India have won, at Kanpur and Eden Gardens.  Be heartened Blackcaps fans and players, were not as bad as you'll see.

Kanpur
vs  Aussie India won by 119 runs
vs Aussie  India won by 153 runs
vs SA India won by 280
vs NZ  India won by 8 wickets
vs SA  India won by Innings and 144 runs
vs NZ  India won by 197 runs.

Eden Garden, Kolkata (Since 1993)
vs England  India won by 8 wickets
vs Aussie  India won by Innings and 219 runs
vs Aussie  India won by 171 runs
vs South Africa  India won by 8 wickets
vs  Pakistan  India won by 195
vs  South Africa India won by Innings and 57 runs
vs West Indies India won by Innings and 15 runs
vs West Indies  India won by an Innings and 52 runs
vs NZ  India won by 178 runs.

Seems all team struggle with Eden Gardens, at least in past 23 years or so.  Stand by for a preview stats chat on ground results for Holkar Cricket Stadium. Indore, India.

The Beginning of the End - DRS thoughts.

Some years ago ICC decided to embrace technology to better assist the on field decision makers to reach "the correct decision"  Barring India, all test, ODI and T20 nations backed the thing that became DRS or 3rd Umpire.  Now remember that 3rd Umpire honorific.

 First we have the issue of India refusing to follow everyone else down the DRS road. Originally I was unable to see why they refuse to do so, and by and large I still don't.  But, lately , more especially these last two Australia/New Zealand series, I have started to wonder if DRS is the Fairy Godfather of modern cricket after all.

Actually my thoughts are not shifting from DRS perse, more the qualifications and experience of the umpires used in those positions.  Yes the two on the pitch and the 3rd in the Umpire Review Chair.  Sure, these guys have all the tools in the world to come to the correct decision, but as evident in past few months, mistakes are prevalent, and in the cricketing world - HOWLERS!! The 22 who ply their trade out in the middle deserve the best decision making process available and by and large that happens.  But just about all tests this series has had some sort of contention, and largely by  any of the three Umpires.

So what of DRS?  Several things:

Status Quo, i.e.  On Field Ump refers to 3rd Ump.  Decision pending.  I would add here a time limit of 2 minutes, still no result then, Umpires original call.

Status Quo - however video and sound replays only visible to 3rd Ump.  2 minute duration, or Umpires original call.

One that won't sit too good for audiences or broadcasters, no replays of any Umpire calls where possible to counter the decision making process.  Go back to the days when technology was hand operated scoreboards and sightscreens were just white or black.

In a nutshell, technology has only achieved one thing, dissent, be it players, captains, coaches, or a adoring public. Do we need DRS?  Leave it to the retired Aussie Quick:-

Aaron Meikle ‏@AaronJMeikle  28m28 minutes ago

Aaron Meikle Retweeted Mitchell Johnson

Better turn the cameras off too then. Not hard to lip read that

Aaron Meikle added,

Mitchell Johnson @MitchJohnson398

It's time for the stump mikes to be turned off. Sure, we have all said a swear word when frustrated #NZvAUS #turnstumpmikeoff #notperfect

0 retweets0 likes

Tale of the Tape - Test cricket series results from May 2013 to June 2015 inclusive.

Just a little exercise in boredom. Results tabulated in Latest Test Ranking Order.  These results cover two years from May 2013 to June 2015 inclusive.

South Africa
Played 6  Won 4 Lost 1 Drawn 1

Australia
Played 5  Won 3 Lost 2

India
Played 5  Won 1 Lost 4

New Zealand
Played 7  Won 3, Lost 1, Drawn 3.

England
Played 6  Won 3 Lost 2  Drawn 1

Pakistan
Played 7  Won 2  Lost 1  Drawn 4

Sri Lanka
Played 6  Won 3  Lost 2  Drawn 1

West Indies
Played 6  Won 1  Lost 4  Drawn 1

Just goes to show the current ranking format is shit!!  India ahead of NZ, England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka??

Editted to Add:

If one was to apportion points for series results (3 for series win, 1 for series draw) and individual test results (2 for Test win, 1 for Test draw) for the past two years as quoted above this is how the teams would stack up in order:

Series Points Individual Tests Points Total for Ranking New Zealand 12 23 35 Australia 9 22 31 England 10 19 29 South Africa 13 14 27 Pakistan 10 16 26 Sri Lanka 10 10 20 West Indies 4 11 15 India 3 11 14