What a muddy mess

23 August 2016 - 10:33 By KARTHIK KRISHNASWAMY

Two Test matches petered into damp squibs at two historic venues. The Port-of-Spain and Durban events point to disregard of common senseThe Queen's Park Oval hosted its 60th Test and Kingsmead its 42nd.These matches are the grounds' first-ever Tests played this month. And both have been ravaged by rain and the inability of the grounds to cope with its effects - the former ended as a draw yesterday.Only 22 of the scheduled 450 overs were possible at the Port-of-Spain Test between West Indies and India. Allowing for the loss of two overs for an innings break, only 102 of a possible 270 overs have been possible on the first four days of the Durban Test between South Africa and New Zealand.Both venues have struggled to deal with staging a Test match at an unusual time of year for them.It is the middle of the wet season in the West Indies, but it is becoming increasingly common for cricket to be played in this period here. Traditionally, West Indies have played their home Tests in the first five months of the year, but they're increasingly being squeezed out of having a proper home season.January, February and March clash with home seasons in Australia, India, New Zealand and South Africa, and most of the world's top players now play the Indian Premier League in April and May.West Indies, on the other hand, have had to move their home Tests into the most unfavourable months of the year. Until 2008, only four of their 48 home series had started after June 1. Since the start of 2008, eight of their 15 home series have begun in June or later, in the rainy months. In the ongoing series against India, rain has washed out 90 overs or more in three of the four Tests.South Africa's home Test series, meanwhile, have almost always begun between November and March. They have played one series that started in April - in 2006 - and one, now, this month. Both times New Zealand have been their opponents, suggesting a scheduling compromise between two southern hemisphere teams reluctant to travel overseas during their traditional home seasons.Where West Indies would have known they were in for rain when they scheduled the India series in July and August, South Africa may have been caught off guard. On average, August is the driest month in Durban.At a wider level, the events of Port-of-Spain and Durban point to a disregard, from all the boards concerned, for common sense scheduling. Really, the lesson ought to be to schedule Test cricket only within its traditional seasons. - ESPNCricinfo..

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