OPINION: Two-match series’ take thrill out of Test cricket

Test matches are being cut down in the majority of series’ around the world with more two-match competitions in place which is killing the excitement.

Earlier this week, in-form England ending their tour of New Zealand 1-1 in dramatic circumstances from a 1-0 lead is the perfect example of this.

It was the experienced Neil Wagner who got the edge over Brendan McCullum’s side in the end with a tickle down the leg-side bringing a brilliant catch from Tom Blundell to claim to match by just one-run.

The ending brought back memories from a match between the world’s best two teams 30 years prior. An Allan Border nearing the end of his career were defeated by one run, thanks to Courtney Walsh finding the edge of Craig McDermott.

Border’s agony came in the fourth test of a five-match series and with West Indies levelling the series with all to play for, tensions couldn’t be raised any higher when Border realised his team was one run short of achieving the goal of his test career; defeating the powerhouses of test cricket of the last 15 years.

With Bazball bringing as much attraction back to test cricket as it has done, a third test would’ve been what New Zealand and England fans alike would’ve loved to see. It was a turn back of the time machine to the 2019 World Cup Final where the New Zealand-born Englishman was the hero, claiming the title by the barest of margins, as commented by Ian Smith’s commentary.

A match so close and the series ending in a draw meant a spark was lost and matches such as that will be remembered in history as standalone moments of greatness as opposed to the context it provides to make great series’ such as that between Australia and West Indies in 1993.

With two-match test tours becoming more common in the modern era of test cricket it is easy to lose interest at the excitement of a tight test to draw the series rather than level it to set up for a great finale.