Template talk:Test match

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Usage: Designed to be used instead of Template:First Class Matches where an editor feels necessary/prefers working with it. The functionality is similar, but extended, as described below.

Contrary to the name, this template does not have to be used for just Test Matches - it may be used for those that do not necessarily have test status (ie a Tour Match, or a First Class match in domestic cricket). It is simply named as such because 'First Class Matches' would be the ideal name but is currently taken by the old method.

Usage of the template may appear confusing at first but is easily explained. A clean template with all variables available is:

{{Test match |
 date = |
 team1 = |
 team2 = |

 score-team1-inns1 = |
 runs-team1-inns1 = |
 wickets-team1-inns1 = |

 score-team2-inns1 = |
 runs-team2-inns1 = |
 wickets-team2-inns1 = |

 score-team1-inns2 = |
 runs-team1-inns2 = |
 wickets-team1-inns2 = |

 score-team2-inns2 = |
 runs-team2-inns2 = |
 wickets-team2-inns2 = |

 result = |
 venue = |
 umpires = |
 motm = |
 report = |
 rain = |
}}

Most are fairly obvious, but some may seem slightly more ambiguous at first:

  • Team1 should be the team batting first. This is simply to make it easier to comprehend when in use on a page.
  • runs-teamx-innsx indicate the highest run scorer of the innings. wickets-teamx-innsx indicate the highest wicket taker of the innings.
  • score-team1-inns1, runs-team1-inns1, wickets-team1-inns1 are defined as the following: The score, runs and wickets gained in the first team's first innings. For clarity, the name in wickets1x1 should be of a player from Team2 because he was bowling during the first team's first innings.
  • The numbers within each of these 3 tags define two things:
How this applies for other teams/innings: score-team2-inns1 is Team2's 1st innings score, score-team1-inns2 is Team1's 2nd innings score.
  • Motm is simply short for Man of the Match.
  • Report should ideally link to a scorecard, from a good source (Cricinfo, Howstat, Cricket Archive or Wikinews if appropriate).
  • Rain can be used for indicated various issues that reduced the amount of time taken or other issues with the match: ie, major rain interruption, change of umpires.

Advantages of this system:

  • It is a lot more forgiving and flexible. It is based upon the 2nd version of Template:Limited overs international which was extensively used on the 2007 Cricket World Cup page which made changing various information possible without being forced to {{subst:}} the template in and remove excess/redundant data.
  • It is less confusing to work with. It is much more simple to work with than having around 9 variables to work with for each innings.
  • It allows the editor to remove specific information that are not applicable to the match in hand. If an innings wasn't played, no data needs to be entered. The old method involved substituting the template in and removing some of the structure of the table until it looked correct - this is no longer necessary. This was the main reason for creating the template - this was a huge hassle and also ended up with making the coding of the page somewhat messy.

Drawbacks:

  • No longer a forced naming system for players: the old system used to force you to put in initials and the name (for the page to link) - this now has to be done manually. The up-side is it prevents confusion that the old system created: the variable used to be called 'Highest scorer for first innings of first team' when it actually meant the page link for the person in question, sometimes leading to pointing at a redirect or disambig page.
  • Similar problems are true for nationalities of the umpires and similar data.
  • May be a bit confusing to work with at first, admittedly.
The 3 above may all seem like drawbacks for some but, to quote User:Sam Vimes: "... [features] such as lack of standardisation of player names, umpire nationalities, etc. are actually a requirement of well-working templates."
  • Dates are not handled so well. To be fair, they weren't handled at all beforehand and made putting the date elsewhere on the page a requirement. The current method I have found the best so far is to put something along the lines of the following:
date = [[November 5]] -<br>[[November 8]], [[2007]] |

Although changing the dates is obviously necessary depending on the page. Note: I have plans to possibly change the template to make the column with the date data in it wider so that even long dates can fit on one line. I'll keep this page updated.

Examples:

A match that wasn't completed:

November 5 -
November 8, 2006
(Scorecard)
Bermuda Flag of Bermuda
133 (59 overs)		 vs Flag of Kenya Kenya
205 (56.1 overs)		 Draw
Nairobi Gymkhana Club, Nairobi, Kenya
Umpires: AL Hill (NZL) and BB Pradham (NEP)
DA Minors 28 (68)
TM Odoyo 5/21 (11)		 SO Tikolo 66 (93)
S Mukuddem 6/50 (14)
19/2 (16.3 overs)
SD Outerbridge 14 (44)
HA Varaiya 2/1 (2)
  • No play possible on 3rd or 4th day due to rain.

An empty scorecard, in preparation for an upcoming match:

May 18 -
May 22, 2007
India Flag of India
 vs Flag of Bangladesh Bangladesh
 Bir Shrestha Shahid Ruhul Amin Stadium, Chittagong, Bangladesh




A match that was won without playing all innings:

May 18 -
May 22, 2007
(Scorecard)
South Africa Flag of South Africa
169 (50.2 overs)		 vs Flag of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka
756/5d (185.1 overs)		 Flag of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka won by an innings and 153 runs
Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Umpires: MR Benson (ENG) and BF Bowden (NZL)
Man of the Match: DPMD Jayawardene (SRI)
AB de Villiers 65 (72)
M Muralitharan 4/41 (18.2)		 DPMD Jayawardene 374 (572)
DW Steyn 3/129 (26)
434 (157.2 overs)
JA Rudolph 90 (182)
M Muralitharan 6/131 (64)