After the openers race to within striking distance of the win, Anderson and Broad urge the team to use common sense. At the end of another captivating day of play in the third and final Test against South Africa, a capacity crowd was denied the prospect of witnessing an England victory march due to the onset of bad light. And James Anderson and Stuart Broad admitted to feeling a mixture of frustration and sympathy for the umpires.
England’s openers Zak Crawley and Alex Lees smashed 97 runs in 17 overs to win the match and the series after being sent in to bat against a target of 130. Umpires Richard Kettleborough and Nitin Menon decided that the light was too poor to continue the game soon after the planned end time of 6:30 p.m., and they escorted the teams off the field.
An instant Commotion Was Heard From England Balcony As a Result of The Decision
There was an instant outcry from the England balcony, where captain Ben Stokes could be seen making a series of disbelieving gestures, and the spectators booed loudly as the players exited the field.
Both of England’s top bowlers confirmed at the end of the play that the umpires were bound by the light-meter reading obtained at a comparable moment at the end of Saturday’s play, regardless of the match scenario.
From our standpoint, it’s disappointing for sure,” Anderson said to Sky Sports. Perhaps another 5 or 6 overs would have been plenty at the pace we were scoring. We had a terrific audience here tonight, and the boys were definitely seeing the ball well.
It would have been lovely to complete it. But we see things from the umpires’ perspective, too,” he remarked. They took reading the day before. That sets the standard for the rest of the play.
It would be unjust to South Africa to try to play the game tonight if it were to rain all day tomorrow, which is the message I believe they are sending. But I’d like to believe that good judgment may sometimes win out.
Umpires Can’t Be Blamed for Following The Law As Written
Umpires can’t be faulted for obeying the rules, said Broad. “As a neutral, it was a fair decision,” Broad said. “The umpires informed Zak and Leesy, ‘Time’s up.'”
The males were performing well, so we were unhappy and furious. Leesy hit the last ball of the day for four. As a changing room, we’re furious we didn’t finish it in front of our all-day audience.
Sky Sports Nasser Hussain urged late-season officials to adjust. Hussain said, “You can’t be furious with the umpires.”
“The rule-makers should look. Do they think September will deliver 6.45 pm daylight? Nope. If you need to make up half an hour, start early rather than late. You’re packed.”
This Action Went Against The Spirit Of Putting The Show First
It went against Stokes and Brendon McCullum’s entertainment-first ethos this summer. England will finish the summer with six wins in seven Tests after batting second and letting their bowlers focus on taking 20 wickets.
Anderson said, “It’s been great. Baz has brought a happy mood to the locker room, and everyone seems to agree that they should try to entertain.
It hasn’t always worked, but when it does, it’s incredible. I think it’s changed how many people see Test cricket, not just the players. It’s been a great summer, and I hope we can make it official tomorrow.
Finishing The Discussion
Marco Jansen, an all-rounder for the South African team, said that the bad illumination didn’t bother him since his team had already won by an innings when the power went out. Despite winning the first Test by an innings at Lord’s earlier this month, South Africa is already behind 2-1 in the series.
Jansen claims that adding further 20 minutes of playtime or starting again tomorrow wouldn’t have changed anything. He stated, “As bowlers, we are often glad to play on, but ultimately it’s up to the umpires. If the game was more even at the time, however, it may have damaged us a bit more.”
