Bad light in Test cricket: A persistent problem despite rule changes

Bad light remains one of cricket's longstanding and vexing challenges.

This issue resurfaced in the recent Test match between South Africa and Australia in Durban, resulting in the loss of over 60 overs across the first three days of play. The introduction of a new ICC regulation concerning the use of the pink ball, intended to mitigate this problem, went unutilized due to a lack of prior agreement between the teams.

Bad light in mid-afternoon - what's happened in Durban?

In Durban, play commenced at 09:30 local time, marking the first October Test held at Kingsmead, where the sun sets shortly after 18:00 during this season on South Africa's eastern coastline. However, on the first day, play was suspended at 15:23 local time as cloud cover developed. Only 65.2 of the 90 overs scheduled for the day were bowled, and the players were unable to resume.

The second day experienced marginally improved conditions, allowing play to continue until 16:25, though this still marked a 35-minute premature conclusion. By day three, play ended at 16:31. On each occasion, the initial sessions unfolded in warm, sunny weather, only for clouds to emerge later in the day—a familiar climatic pattern in Durban.

"The morning temperatures rise as the sun warms the land, creating a sea breeze with winds blowing in from the ocean towards Durban," explained BBC weather presenter Chris Fawkes. "This increased humidity level through the morning brings cloud cover. As the temperature drops in the evening, humidity levels rise further, resulting in denser cloud formations."

What about the change in playing conditions?

In response to a trial earlier in the year, the International Cricket Council updated its playing conditions to permit the pink ball for Test matches. This revision aimed to address scenarios such as the one experienced in Durban.

Crucially, the new rule does not allow teams to switch from a red ball to a pink ball when light conditions become suboptimal—a change previously advocated by former England captain Michael Vaughan. Instead, the provision enables teams to agree prior to the start of a Test match to employ the pink ball throughout if light issues are anticipated.

Unfortunately, no discussions took place between South Africa and Australia prior to the Durban Test regarding this arrangement.

'There is a stigma around the pink ball'

The pink ball has become a standard feature of day-night Tests, primarily due to its enhanced visibility compared to the darker red ball under evening conditions. Former South African bowler Shaun Pollock, who served on the ICC committee that proposed this change, contends that a "stigma" surrounds the pink ball within the sport.

"They argue that it moves excessively," Pollock noted. "If Australia found themselves at 124-6 [as they did on day one] while using the pink ball, it would likely be blamed for their struggles. Conversely, if they reach 390 from that point, many in South Africa would still cite the pink ball's softer nature as a contributing factor."

"The pink ball could have allowed us to witness 45 more overs of Test cricket, which is why I advocate for its introduction—not solely for day-night matches."

Why might teams not want to use the pink ball?

There exists a belief that the pink ball may experience more movement when utilized under floodlights; however, this assertion is not corroborated by ball tracking data. In contrast, various batsmen have indicated that the pink ball is more challenging to see, with batting averages often declining in the evening sessions of day-night matches.

Australia has participated in 15 of Test cricket's day-night matches—10 more than any other team. Unsurprisingly, the top four wicket-takers in these matches are all Australians. Left-armer Mitchell Starc has notably claimed 89 wickets in 15 Tests, establishing himself as the leading bowler with the pink ball.

It would not be surprising if teams preferred to face Australia with a red ball rather than the pink ball.

Former South African bowler Vernon Philander stated a preference for the option of switching balls during a match if conditions dictated such a need, although he acknowledged that this could raise integrity concerns regarding the Test format.

Is the potential unfairness of one team encountering a pink ball more significant than the need to increase the amount of play on the field?

"There needs to be a decisive approach from the umpires to enforce the use of the pink ball when light conditions deteriorate," Philander remarked. "The issue of who holds the game's momentum will always arise. I would like to see the ICC take the responsibility of making that determination fall to the officials."