In brief
In a second‑day test in Durban, the England‑style rules for using a pink ball in day‑night matches failed to prevent a record 60 overs lost to bad light. Despite a recent rule change allowing teams to negotiate a pink ball at a Test’s start, South Africa and Australia did not agree to it, leaving the game in normal red‑ball conditions. The weather system on the South African coast brings a hot morning followed by a sea breeze that creates low‑lying clouds every afternoon. Cricket’s age‑old dilemma of reduced lighting at sunset has thus resurfaced, frustrating players and fans alike. Key cricket figures weigh in on whether the pink ball could have kept the match running under the fading light.
Australia keep a 139‑run lead in the first October Test at Kingsmead, but a day‑long cloud spell erased more than 60 overs of cricket. The International Cricket Council’s latest rule, intended to allow teams to switch to a blue‑rimmed pink ball when light turns poor, was never stepped on.
When light turns a game
Play began at 09:30 local time on a sunny morning, but by 15:23 the Big Cloud Cloud‑cover‑Packing Kick‑off had the umpires halting the match. A similar pattern happened on days two and three, each ending about half an hour earlier than the sunset at 18:00.
The pink‑ball loophole
The ICC allowed the use of the pink ball in all Tests if the teams agreed before the match. It was designed to keep a Test moving when daylight dimmed. Yet South Africa and Australia sat through Durban’s afternoon twilight in the same red ball they started with, seeking no change of conditions.
Why teams might stay with the red ball
Some argue the pink ball is harder to see in evening shade, and history shows day‑night games often end in lower batting averages for the second innings. The proud Australian spin bowlers, especially Mitchell Starc, still call the pink ball “the best” for bowling in the twilight, but the climate‑driven red ball remains the default choice for the majority of Test matches.
Calls for real change
Former South African legend Shaun Pollock stresses that the problem is not the ball but the weather. He urges the ICC to enforce the pink‑ball rule to avoid “long silences” on the mat and to preserve the integrity of the match under changing light.
