That would make it sound like day night pink-ball matches were just the fillip that Test cricket needed to revive its fortunes.

But of course there are other explanations. Since way more folk claimed they were there to witness the first tied test in history between Australia and the West Indies in 1960 than actually were, there has been a tendency to make sure momentous occasions were not missed again - especially those which are known to be momentous in advance.

And there is still a fascination with the redevelopment of the Adelaide Oval, which across all the sports and events it has hosted seems to have got a massive thumbs-up.

Certainly a combination of those two factors, plus the location of the venue which so perfectly lends itself to attracting spectators on foot from offices and hotels in Adelaide's central business district at later hours of the day without much fuss, provided ideal recipe for Cricket Australia's experiment.

But is it right? The pink-ball, lights and the time of year significantly alter the traditions of Test cricket in Adelaide in particular - for the city's Test match was "always" in mid to late January after the grain harvests, so the cockys could all come down to the city.

Whilst it is true that many Adelaide Test matches were played in that time slot there were significant periods such as for nearly all the 1980s, and often since the turn of this century, when about now was just as common.

Not to let some actualities get in the way of traditions - for those in cricket have often been exaggerated anyway, like that of the Boxing Day Test, which is a relatively modern phenomenon, albeit a very successful one on most occasions.

For those dates used to be allocated to a Sheffield Shield game between Victoria and New South Wales which apparently people also went to in droves - but that's a tale of another tradition that's irretrievably gone.

Perhaps we should never say never - but that's a revival that a pink fit couldn't deliver let alone a pink ball.

There are clearly moments in sport or life in general when the time comes for tradition, however nostalgically coveted, to make way for something new or to simply fade away, hopefully gracefully but sometimes simply lost with little trace.

The Sheffield Shield itself is a perfect example. Before television, annual home test series and pyjama cricket it was the ant's pants. The time quickly came when no-one wanted to watch it. Now it fulfils a completely different role as a high performance pathway competition fully subsidised for that purpose by the sport's governing body.

Test cricket is heading for the history books. There are really only three countries and their broadcast partners who take it seriously. It's way too hard when other options are so readily available and more attractive for the other so-called Test-playing nations and in particular their best players.

Floodlights and the pink ball won't be the ingredients that provide further life for Test cricket. But throw in coloured clothes, innings restrictions and a day or two less and a cure might just be within reach.