Super Over and Out

Mike Hesson? Who is this you ask? He is not really a household name around the world. He maybe known in various houses in New Zealand and possibly India but besides that his name doesn't remind you of anyone. Mike Hesson is the coach of the New Zealand cricket team. He is one of the unusual ones in that he has never played first class cricket.

In this article from Cricinfo he suggests that 20 over cricket games should not be decided by a Super Over. In a tied 20 over cricket game if the game is tied then each team has one over to decide the game's winner. Hesson suggests that in regular league games that Super Over should not apply and it should only apply in knockout games. New Zealand just lost two of three of their games in Super Overs.

We all know or should, anyway know that the reason why the International Cricket Council has put this Super Over in is to appeal to the USA market. I don't think it is any secret that cricket wants to get a foothold in the USA sporting landscape and 20 over cricket is the answer. It takes about the same time as a baseball game and we all know how much Americans like baseball. So with the big expatriate population in the USA can it become a major sport? I don't think so but it could follow soccer's lead and create a niche following.

Anyway, back to the solution for a tie breaker in20 over cricket. Here are my ten ideas:

1. Return to the bowl off. When 20 over cricket came into existence they had a bowl off. Bowlers from each team had one ball to try and hit the stumps. This was quite exciting, very much like a penalty shoot out in soccer. New Zealand did OK in them too.

2. Have another game the following day like replays in soccer. Obviously with the television schedule this just isn't feasible but at least you would get a true winner.

3. Toss a coin. Not good for television but it gets the job done.

4. Have a 6 hitting competition. Batsman are judged on the distance they hit it and how many in a six ball over. You have the same bowler for both teams.

5. We have had the bowl off, we have had the 6 hitting competition, so why don't we have something to do with fielding? You get you best fielder and they have six chances to hit one stump with a throw from the outfield. The fielder will get 6 throws from different parts of the field.

6. A decathlon type competition of a combination of all three disciplines.

7.  In a tie, the higher ranked team in the competition needs only to tie or win to go through. What I mean by the higher ranked team is from the table in the qualifying tournament. So if Australia had 10 points in the qualifying tournament and India had 9 points then Australia go through in the advent of a tie as India needed to win outright.

8. Just accept the tie. Ties and draws are a major part of cricket. Some of the most exciting cricket test matches have ended in draws so the American audience will have to accept it.

9. Rather than a 1 over smash make it a five over smash. I know this will elongate the game by over an hour but 1 over just doesn't do it for me.

10. Scrap 20 over cricket and 50 over cricket all together and return to just first class and test cricket. I know the traditionalists will like that.