Michael Vaughan’s solution to improve ‘cricket’s slow-play epidemic’: Bowl 90 overs every day regardless of the time

Michael Vaughan acknowledges it was ‘great theatre’ to watch Zak Crawley waste precious minutes at the end of Day 3 of the Lord’s Test between England and India. But the former England captain also can’t wrap his head around some rules around the number of overs bowled in a day.

Offering his solutions to the time-wasting techniques the players employ and slow over rates, Vaughan said the match officials must ensure ‘90 overs are bowled every day, however long it takes.

“I have really never understood why we bowl 90 overs on day five, going as late as we need to get the overs in, but just knock it on the head at 6.30pm on the other days,” Vaughan wrote in The Telegraph.

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He added: “I think if the players knew that we had to bowl 90 overs, regardless of the time it finishes, that would focus their minds. It was great theatre watching Zak Crawley chew up minutes at Lord’s knowing they were finishing at 6.30, but it would not have even been on the cards if everyone involved knew they were carrying on regardless of the time. England would have had to front up and face the music.”

On the third day of the Lord’s Test, which England won to go 2-1 up in the series, Crawley seemed to waste time deliberately to avoid facing an extra over. He took extra time at the crease and for medical attention after getting hit on his hand, drawing sharp reactions from the Indian team.

The ICC also penalised England for maintaining a slow over-rate in the third Test. The hosts were fined 10 per cent of their match fee and penalised two ICC World Test Championship points for maintaining a slow over-rate.

Vaughan said ensuring that 90 overs are bowled no matter what would encourage players to finish on time. “The players do not want to be finishing at 7.45pm – they want to be out of the ground and resting up long before then. I think that would help us see fewer unofficial drinks breaks, bathroom stops etc. It would be in the umpires’ interests to get it done, too,” he wrote.

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“It would probably mean play does finish a bit later, but I can’t see anyone not wanting that. Broadcasters and punters get more content and value overall. It is quite simple: You have to bowl 90 overs in a day regardless of the time.”

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