My Favourite Form Of Cricket

Coming from England as I do, there is only one answer for this, and that's the original format of cricket, Test Cricket.

Why? Simply because it's the ultimate form of the game. Test cricket is the true judge of how good a cricketer you are, and if a player has any weaknesses, then they will be found out over time only in Test Cricket. Time is the true beauty of this format too. The game ebbs and flows, one team can be on top and suddenly in the space of an afternoon as the wicket changes, or the weather shifts, suddenly a new emphasis of the game will start to take over.

There is a beauty to Test Cricket that you find nowhere else. As the ball gets older, different skills are required. Different strategies slowly come into play. Fatigue also plays a factor, concentration can be the downfall of a player, the match can suddenly catch fire after periods of calm. Finally the pitch plays a huge part. From being a haven for the fast bowlers, a good pitch can level out for batsmen, and then the spinners come into play later on as the surface dries and cracks. You don't get that subtle variation in any other form of the game.

There is one other reason I prefer Test Cricket. The bowlers actually get a chance to shine. I used to bowl spin (not at a good level I might add) but playing a limited over format gave you little time to experiment or to work out a strategy of how to get a wicket. In limited overs cricket, you have to restrict the runs, and therefore it restricts what you can do.

With Test Cricket you can apply pressure, work over a batsman, get them into a false sense of security and set a trap for them, and you need time to achieve this. Time you just don't get in a one day game. The psychological side of sport is so underrated too, but in Test Cricket it is everything, and the battle of wits between batter and bowler at the highest level is something that I just love to watch.

Finally, if you ever go to a Test Match especially here in England, it's a social event. The banter, the humour, the alcohol - (yes having a beer is all part of the fun), and the knowledge of those who go is amazing. There are few other experiences that I can compare it with, over a full day from morning until evening.

So, as much as I like all forms of cricket, including the 50 overs game or 20/20, for me there is only one format that is the true one, and that is Test Cricket.

Photo - Taken by myself in August 2019 - Wraysbury Cricket Club Pavilion, Berkshire - my local village cricket club...