4 days ago
Atherton Cites T20 Cricket, Pitches Behind Faster Test Finishes
Test cricket can last up to five days, but many matches now finish much sooner.
Michael Atherton said about 7% of Tests ended within three days or less in the 1990s.
He said the figure is now about 20%.
He also said nine Tests ended in only two days during the last decade.
Atherton said no two-day Test occurred between 1946 and 2000.
He believes T20 cricket has encouraged batters to take more risks.
He also mentioned fast bowlers, the Decision Review System and pitches that help bowlers.
The World Test Championship may encourage home teams to prepare pitches that help them win.
Recent matches involving England, Pakistan, Australia and Bangladesh ended especially quickly.
Michael Atherton said Tests ending within three days or less have risen from about 7% in the 1990s to 20% now.
He said nine Tests finished in two days during the last decade, compared with none between 1946 and 2000.
Atherton attributed shorter matches partly to high-risk batting influenced by T20 cricket.
He also cited more fast bowlers, DRS and increasingly bowling-friendly pitches linked to World Test Championship points.
Recent Tests in Leeds and Mackay ended in fewer than three days, including Australia’s innings victory over Bangladesh.
- Who
- Former England cricketer Michael Atherton discussed the trend, citing recent matches involving England, Pakistan, Australia and Bangladesh.
- What
- Test matches are increasingly finishing within two or three days, according to Atherton.
- Where
- He spoke on Sky Sports during the second England-Pakistan Test at Lord’s in London; recent cited matches were in Leeds and Mackay.
- When
- Atherton spoke on August 29, 2026, during the second England-Pakistan Test; he compared the 1990s with the last decade and current decade.
- Why
- Atherton cited riskier batting influenced by T20 cricket, fast bowlers, DRS and more bowling-friendly pitches prepared for World Test Championship points.
Key facts
- 1990s rate
- About 7% of Tests ended within three days or less.
- Current rate
- About 20% of Tests now end within three days or less, according to Atherton.
- Two-day Tests
- Nine Tests finished in two days during the last decade.
- Historical comparison
- Atherton said there were no two-day Tests between 1946 and 2000.
- Recent Leeds Test
- The first England-Pakistan Test ended in three days, with Pakistan losing by an innings.
- Recent Mackay Test
- Australia defeated Bangladesh by more than an innings after the match ended in less than two full days.
- Factors cited
- T20-influenced batting, fast bowlers, DRS and bowling-friendly pitches associated with World Test Championship incentives.
Quotes
Michael Atherton
Former England international cricketer and Sky Sports analyst
“I think pitches have become more advantageous since the advent of the World Test Championship. Teams are generally looking to get home advantage more, so whether it's turning pitches in India or seaming pitches in England, generally the pitches have become more bowling-friendly since the advent of the World Test Championship.”
livemint.com
“Nass (Nasser Hussain, his broadcast partner at Sky Sports) and I played in the 1990s, and the number of games that finished in three days or less was around 7 per cent, and that is now at 20 per cent, so that is a big difference.”
indianexpress.com
livemint.com
Sources
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