OK so I've said it before

[chickenfeet]

Middlesex bowled 104 overs today on the first day of a four day county championship game. Why then is it impossible ever to bowl just 90 overs in the allowed time on the first day of a test match? Answers to the ICC department of pathetic and implausible excuses.

Comments

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

So basically county sides are expected to bowl 16 overs an hour, and Test sides 15.

Is there any rationale for that?

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

Can't remember when they were set, but I imagine it's to reflect the greater demands of Test cricket (since the players say it's a bigger jump from first-class to Tests than from club cricket to first-class). Also there's the extra palaver of Test cricket - bigger crowds, more people to move about distracting the batsman as the bowler's running in, more reason for the batsman to make a fuss about being distracted, longer standing ovations when there's a landmark...

County cricket tends to run over the scheduled hours too.