Cricket: Will teams declare to bowl at night?

New Zealand's Neil Wagner hands the pink ball to bowler Matt Henry. Photo / Getty

Look for unusual tactical moves when test cricket goes under lights at Adelaide Oval from this Friday.

Former Australian batsman Mike Hussey, writing in a newspaper column, is expecting some unexpected ploys from both captains Steve Smith and Brendon McCullum as they look to work the conditions to their advantage.

There are a range of unknowns about the inaugural pink ball test - for example the ability of fielders to sight the ball clearly at night, and how much impact spin will have, given that there's a strong view batsmen struggle to pick up the seam as its revolving in the air.

But on at least one point, there is solid consensus: the pink ball gives more help to the faster bowlers under lights.

That showed up in New Zealand's two-day game against a West Australian XI in Perth last weekend.

Both teams' seam bowlers found more significant assistance in the evening session.
The WA XI wicketkeeper Josh Inglis snapped up seven catches as handy fast-medium pair Joel Paris and Andrew Tye got the ball to move noticeably later in the second day.

Similarly Doug Bracewell, Neil Wagner and Tim Southee found help once the lights were on on the first day.

''I wouldn't be surprised to see tactics come into play," Hussey wrote.

''Wath for Steve Smith or Brendon McCullum to declare earlier than normal to take advantage of the twilight conditions. Both teams will want to make inroads under lights and bat during the day."

One point is near certain: whichever captain wins the toss will bat.

Adelaide Oval has long had a deserved reputation as a batting delight. Even though more grass is being left on to help protect the pink ball against undue abrasion such as happened early in New Zealand's tour at Canberra, there should be runs on offer - at least in the daylight hours.

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson agreed with Hussey's view.

''I think there's definitely something to that," he said.

''It's a little bit like having a bowl half an hour at end of the day, or wanting to bowl first thing in the morning, if you think that's the best chance to take wickets."

It may not happen on day one, but don't be surprised to see teams pulling out to make use of the evening dew at key points in the test.

Then again, if the team batting first is progressing strongly by the dinner break at 6.20pm local time, they may look to press on, as in a standard daylight test.

However both skippers will take note of developments in the second hour of the middle session.

The pink ball will be about 60 overs old at the start of the final session. The second new ball, which becomes available after 80 overs, will arrive about 40-45 minutes before stumps.

Based on the Perth match, and other anecdotal evidence from Sheffield Shield matches under lights - Australia have had one full round of day-nighters in each of the last three seasons - that's when the hijinks might start.

Australian quick Mitchell Starc tore through the South Australian batting lineup under the Adelaide lights while bowling for New South Wales just before the New Zealand test series began.

Interestingly the pink balls held up pretty well in Perth, after copping serious scuffing on the more abrasive surface at Canberra at the start of this month.

They were certainly an improvement on the wretched batch of Kookaburra red balls used in the Perth test, which the manufacturers, bizarrely have blamed on the hardness of the Waca pitch.

But however the test plays out, the excitement factor is growing for the New Zealanders, although opener Martin Guptill deadpanned after his century in Perth that ''it's no different to a normal test match. Every test match you go into you're pretty excited about getting there".