These things tend to vary a bit across venues and countries depending on conditions.How can we tell how the pitch is playing based in what's happening out in the middle?
These things tend to vary a bit across venues and countries depending on conditions.
But as a general guide, have a look at the carry of the ball to the keeper and see if it’s pretty consistent. If a keeper is taking balls of similar pace and length at different heights it’s often a sign the pitch is a bit two paced (ball coming off at slightly different speeds), which can in turn make it hard to score freely on.
Sometimes that can reflect a groundsman leaving some moisture in it so it doesn’t break up over five days, which is when you’ll hear comms sometimes say “it will get better for batting on days two and three.” That’s sometimes the case out here anyway.
In NZ or England where generally the climate is a bit damper, the natural conditions might mean the decks are like their players - a bit soft on top, and the ball will move a bit sideways more than in drier places like Aus.
Things are so variable, but imo inconsistent pace (and therefore bounce) off the deck is harder to bat on than a deck that’s going sideways a bit. Obviously if it’s ragging or a complete green top it’s different, but I always found it harder to get into a batting rhythm on a two paced deck than I did one moving around at a consistent pace. May well be an individual thing, but it’s just how I found it.
Sounds like Sabina Park.Early in the morning, get up and head to the ball field sometimes with toothbrush or a stick of black sage in my mouth. Since it’s a home game for us all the guys would assemble in the middle of the ground to help prepare the pitch.
Craters in the pitch will be patched up.
Some of us would form a bucket brigade to get water to the pitch from the nearby canal.
A couple of us would push the roller up from the boundary line and towards the square.
The pitch would then get a good soaking of water then rolled for a while....
For the toppings we have:
1. Freshly cut grass from one of the neighbor’s yard next to the ground.
2. Sawdust
3. Fine rice paddy husk
Or we just leave it naked.
The pitch that is prepared with the sawdust is usually the park easiest to bat on.
The grass topping obviously helps the pacers early on but batting becomes easier in the second innings.
The rice paddy husk topping is a wicket from hell. Sometimes the ball would move like a bull in heat and hit you in the wrong areas.
The naked pitch is the closest thing we have to a dustbowl.
Nope. This is Cow Dam Cricket Club ground.Sounds like Sabina Park.