Abu Dhabi: Seamer Jon Lewis hurled the first pink ball in a four-day first-class match as history was created at the Zayed Cricket Stadium when colour was added to the whites under lights.
Two-time County champions Durham and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) are featuring in the match, which officially kick-started the English cricket season here in Abu Dhabi.
While Lewis will be part of this experiment, which could very well change the face of Test cricket, the man who faced the first pink ball Australian Michael Di Venuto will also go down in the annals of the game for recording the first hundred in a new experience. He slammed 131 and shared an opening stand of 181 with Scotsman Kyle Coetzer who scored a half-century after Durham won the toss and elected to bat.
Big advance
Speaking to Gulf News earlier in the afternoon, Keith Bradshaw, MCC Chief Executive said the experiment with the pink ball and playing under lights was a big advance.
"One of the most important things is we have not had a day-night match during County games. And we are trialling the pink ball in a four-day match. I think the experience here will be helpful to the ICC. Whether they can play Test cricket under these conditions. That will be a big advance," he said.
"One of the different aspects here in night cricket is that we are playing with white clothes and that is why the sight-screens are in white. It will be interesting to see when it becomes dark whether the players pick up the pink ball. We will be asking them after the game," Bradshaw said.
"Lights and continuing to play in white clothes and white pads at night, which is the new thing. We have been researching the pink ball for some years. We will be looking at how the players will be reacting to that," he said.
"This is the first four-day match and the important thing is, it is under lights. This test is crucial for if it works then Test matches cane be played in the evenings and more people can go to watch it," the MCC boss said.
Will the pink cricket ball add colour and excitement to the game? What other measures do you think will make the traditional game more interesting?
