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"Doctored" pitches

Dick Rockett

International Vice-Captain
'"They are very good at preparing conditions to suit themselves I think," Smith said of his hosts.'

That's Graeme Smith, guys and dolls. Now I completely disagree with this statement, and although it was dressed up diplomatically, I feel it was a criticism of the way NZ prepares for its home games.

I don't believe that's the case, heres why:

1. NZ Cricket have repeatedly stated that they are trying to move away from the "low, slow" pitches of the past, to tracks that contain more pace and bounce.

2. Last season's India series was an aberration brought about mainly through experiments aimed at getting the results mentioned in point 1, and extremely uncooperative weather. Like it or not, with climate change, these are our summers now.

3. Seam movement is also going to benefit the South Africans, given that their attack, like NZ's, is predominantly comprised of right-arm seamers.

4. What exactly is wrong with seam movement anyway? We can't have nothing but rolled concrete-type pitches on which both sides knock up 500. How about some variety? Test the skills? Come on batters, you love it...
 

Tim

Cricketer Of The Year
No doubt Smith said it to stir up some controversy, and its blatantly obvious that if South Africa lose the series they'll be looking to blame the pitches first.

The weather in NZ is not that great at all & I can't see the groundsmen being able to pull out good batting surfaces at this stage. Teams are going to have to understand that when they tour NZ, the pitches on occassions are going to be poor for ODI cricket.
 

Tim

Cricketer Of The Year
However I will say that the clay the groundsmen use in the North Island is hopeless...they have to get it exactly right or else the pitch will just die & there will be no bounce. So more often than not it appears that the groundsmen rarely get the balance right.

I see the 'portable' pitch at Eden park is clay or soil from the South Island, so presumably if the groundsman prepares it correctly it should be a good batting deck.
 

Mister Wright

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Smith has said this because he knows he will not score any runs unless the pitches are gravel painted white.
 

cbuts

International Debutant
well lets hope that trevor jackosn and or chris lewis have given a few lessons. the last pitches they produced where crackers. nz V pak in welly. over 600 runs scored - central V cant in christchurch over 600 runs scored
 

PY

International Coach
Hard Harry said:
4. What exactly is wrong with seam movement anyway? We can't have nothing but rolled concrete-type pitches on which both sides knock up 500. How about some variety? Test the skills? Come on batters, you love it...
If only cricket boards and ICC thought like this. I have thought this for ages as some of the games I have most enjoyed have been low scoring games.

As much as I like seeing lots of runs (I'm a batsman), it usually breeds draws or huge victories for one side. BORING :(
 

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
Tim said:
No doubt Smith said it to stir up some controversy
How out of character for him to say something controversial!

Interesting how some teams respect the opposition before they go there (thinking of the other tours coming up)
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
What's wrong with the home team trying to help themselves as much as possible?
Is there any evidence that Graeme was doing anything other than stating that New Zealand are especially good at this?
Aren't all Kiwi pitches now drop-ins, except at Basin Reserve? If not, why not? They worked really well for the 2001\02 Test-series, if the Auckland one did get indentations a little too easily.
If there's any seam-movement (and I certainly hope there is) then I fully expect Pollock, Tuffey, Ntini, Nel, Kallis and Oram to offer a good threat.
It will then depend on how well Graeme and co. play.
But what I hope against is a repeat of the India Tests. There must have been some element of strategy, surely, and hey - it worked (shame India couldn't manage to return the compliment:(). But it did make for rather boring cricket, too.
If thousands of runs are boring (and IMO they most certainly are) so are virtually none. Though odd occasions of both have their place.
 

Kent

State 12th Man
Seam-movement only for the first hour or so thanks. Jacob Oram is a good player and a nice bloke, but I never thought averaging in the low 20's as a test bowler could be done with less of an ars*nal.

Cricket is my favourite game, but I sometimes envy the way baseball took the ground completely out of the equation. Force the pitcher/bowler to use some variations and neurons in order to succeed.
 
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Kent

State 12th Man
This automatic censor is getting ridiculous. What would we do if this was an English Premier League forum!

Chelsea 2, ****nal 3...
 

Langeveldt

Soutie
Mister Wright said:
Smith has said this because he knows he will not score any runs unless the pitches are gravel painted white.
Whatever....


I wouldnt mind if the kiwis prepared SA a few minefields, i mean its the same for both teams.. And NZ is the only place IMO where the bowlers can reign supreme.. Test Crickets run gluts are boring me now...

Oh for a 170 plays 190!
 

Tim

Cricketer Of The Year
The only drop-in pitches in NZ are Eden Park & Jade Stadium.

Eden Park still has a fair bit of work to do to get the balance right, but Jade Stadium produced an absolute beauty for the State Shield final where 354 & 255 was scored.

NZ certainly don't doctor pitches to the point where NZ can't even bat on them, thats ridiculous....unfortunately against India there was a huge amount of rain & the groundsmen at Wellington & Hamilton mis-understood Fleming when he said he wanted a decent amount of seam movement.

It's a good sign though that Christchurch & Wellington (The Stadium) are starting to produce the right pitches..the test pitch at Hamilton for the match against Pakistan wasn't that bad either.
 

Dick Rockett

International Vice-Captain
Richard said:
Is there any evidence that Graeme was doing anything other than stating that New Zealand are especially good at this?
No there's not. But IMO his collective statements paint a fairly clear picture of his attitude, ie. that NZ unfairly doctor their pitches.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
I really do say to anyone (including Graeme) that this is the whole point of "home advantage".
You get the conditions you want (well, hopefully:lol: ).
That's not unfair, nor "doctoring", it's part of the beauty of playing home and away.
Outstanding bowlers prevail on any surface anyway, and outstanding batsmen give themselves a chance on any surface. I'd say SA have got plenty of them and so they should win both series easily. If they don't, they've underperformed, simple as.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Tim said:
The only drop-in pitches in NZ are Eden Park & Jade Stadium.
So the rest (bar Basin Reserve) have still got squares that are trampled on by rugby players for 6 or 7 months?
I am right that McLean Park, Carisbrook, WP Trust Park, WP Trust Stadium and the two aforementioned are all primarily rugby stadiums?
 

Dick Rockett

International Vice-Captain
Richard said:
So the rest (bar Basin Reserve) have still got squares that are trampled on by rugby players for 6 or 7 months?
I am right that McLean Park, Carisbrook, WP Trust Park, WP Trust Stadium and the two aforementioned are all primarily rugby stadiums?
Unfortunately, you're mostly correct. :(

Westpac Park in Hamilton is primarily a cricket ground like the Basin Reserve. This is the reason most tests are being played at these two grounds now. I think both have some winter sports played on them, but nothing major.

As for Westpac STADIUM in Wellington, the rugby union in their infinite wisdom has just managed to hold a rugby sevens tournament there - smack bang in the middle of cricket season and 13 days before an ODI is due to be played there! :!(

Don't expect a great surface....

Sing along with me now kiwis: "Rugby, rugby, uber alles, uber alles in der welt..."
 

Tim

Cricketer Of The Year
This is mostly the problem in New Zealand. There are only about 2 or 3 genuine cricket grounds, the rest are all stadiums/grounds shared between Rugby/Cricket & whatever else.

The current schedule is crazy, in around NZ playing S.A at various venues, the super 12 is going on. The groundsmen have got their work cut out big time.
 

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