Australia, New Zealand gear up for first day-night Test

It is what the cricketing world had waited for and the pink ball finally made its debut in the first day-night Test match between Australia and New Zealand on Friday.

“No one knows at the moment, that’s one of the things that’ll come out of this test match or day-night test cricket, that there is going to be some different demands tactically on captains and how they try to exploit some of those opportunities”, he said. “So we’re really excited about it and hopefully it goes off brilliantly, with no challenges and no problems”.

“This could be something that is outstanding for the game moving forward”.

He agreed that the launch of day and night tests could see crowds returning to the stadiums for the longer version of the game and also making it more challenging.

“I am confident that, as players have adjusted to a myriad of changes within the global game over more than 100 years, they will adjust in this instance too, and, in doing so, play an important role in taking Test cricket to a new level”.

“I think it’s really important that we continue to support the Hughes family and show our respect”.

Richardson said: “I thank the MCC for their hard work on and promotion of the day/night concept”.

Ticket sales are pointing to a first-day crowd of up to 40 000 compared with 16 000 the last time the two sides met in Adelaide in 2008.

Lyon said the Australians were eagerly anticipating playing with pink balls. So to enable Test teams to continue to wear whites, the pink Kookaburra ball has come into being.

“So overall the batters tend to get better as we get deeper into a season, which is kind of scary for guys like Kane (Williamson) and Ross (Taylor), but I think overall our guys go in with probably a little bit more confidence than when we started the tour”.

“Credit to Australia they put us under a lot of pressure early on and knocked us of our lengths and dented the confidence of the bowlers who like to settle in on certain lengths and plans”.

“There is no doubt Test match cricket is struggling to compete with the popularity of T20 cricket and to a lesser extent 50-over matches”.

“We’re going to have a hit under lights tomorrow night and hopefully we can sign off with everything and hopefully we’re good to go”.

“Trent bowled yesterday in the nets”.

Paceman Peter Siddle was preferred ahead of fellow Victorian James Pattinson, who will now head to Perth to join the Victorian Sheffield Shield team.

The 36-year-old former England spinner has not played in a match using a pink ball – he retired midway through the 5-0 Ashes whitewash two years ago – but reports from his former county colleagues at Nottinghamshire have not encouraged him.