sussexpob wrote:The main problem with overs lost, to me anyway, is the timing issues in the game. How many times is it blazing sunshine, bright light, a ground with floodlights installed anyway, and the teams are dragged off at 1830 with two overs to play? Never used to be like this, they played long enough to complete the overs, if the light was sufficient. Seem to remember was it Lords or Edgbaston in a test recently, where the teams were off for bad light with the floodlights fully on, but the rules stating they couldnt be used?
To me the biggest problem is the game loses interest when the play is slowed down. It creates a lull. A drag. Playing on at the end of the day doesn't help that, and may even make things worse.
I don't like penalty points. I'd quite like to try the players losing time in the intervals, see if that changes the players' priorities. But the tv people wouldn't like it. Top up the overs at lunch, tea and the close. Against that, the batters may not deserve to lose their rest time.
There may be better ways of dealing with this. But at the moment, we have the rules we have.
I always say that everybody's right.