Prideful in their calcification, the old lot is out in force, attempting to resist change and blissful in their ignorance that what they venerate is the product of historic transformation.

Indeed, there was a time when cricket pitches were not 'prepared', when bowlers delivered underarm and matches were afternoon affairs on the village green rather than structured competition between teams, or Tests between nations.

But, like most things in life, cricket has to adjust to changing times. Which is why we endorse the experiment announced by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for the 2010 regional season of making some four-day, first-class matches day-night affairs.

The plan makes sense, at least to those of us who believe that the longer version of the game is the epitome of cricket, representing the ultimate test to the skills of players, and that it ought to survive. As things now stand, the future of five-day Test matches is in danger.

Improvisations and adaptations

Forty years ago when limited-overs cricket was first introduced and almost instantly became a hit in the countries where it was played, the dangers that this posed to Tests and other matches played over several days were immediately apparent to the more perceptive.

It is true that Test cricket has proved resilient, in small measure because of improvisations and adaptations, mostly on the part of players. The best of them still have those qualities necessary for the longer version of the game, not least of which is concentration and the ability to adjust to the changing circumstances of matches played over several days. But they bring something else that was made common by limited-overs cricket: improvisation in stroke-play and athleticism in fielding.

But there is something that Tests and other multiple-day games have not been able to overcome: their length and the growing inability of fans to dedicate the time to them. There was a time in the Caribbean, for instance, when a day off to attend Test matches was among the employment perquisites for public sector workers. Private firms often followed suit.

Bringing back the fans

In today's competitive environment, with its increasing drive for enhanced productivity, it is the brave manager who would allow his workforce time off, even without pay, to watch cricket. Neither individual firms nor economies can afford it. It is little wonder, therefore, that Twenty20 cricket is growing in popularity.

That is part of the context for this newspaper's past support of day-night first-class and Test matches, and why we believe that the WICB's initiative is deserving of support. It is a shot at bringing back some of the sport's lost fans to cricket.

An employed person may not be able to attend a day's play between 10 in the morning and 5:30 in the afternoon, but is likely to be able to take in the last two sessions after work, treating it as an evening's outing. First-class cricket is again being opened to the employed persons, especially if the WICB and territorial boards can create a spectacle around the event.

We suspect that some of the resistance to the idea is bound up with the WICB's low credibility. It is important, though, to focus on the message rather than the messenger. Within that message, possibly, lies the future of Test matches.

The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.