Which type of pitches are better for longterm benefit of a Team ?

[kyear2]

A mix of course, but one that gives some assistance to the bowlers. That forces the batsmen to develop better techniques and quality bowlers are always always have a chance.

Plus no one likes to see 2 or 3 innings draws.

 

[morgieb]

The other answer is a mix of both.

But in terms of developing a side, reckon it's better to be too batsman friendly than too bowler friendly. With the latter all bowlers need to do is rock up and bowl, and I don't think bats develop properly if they live in fear of getting one with their name on it.

Whereas at least with flat decks it sorts out the wheat from the chaff with the ball (and ensures they know how to bowl on Test-style wickets) and while it might mean they don't have the best technique, at least the bats know how to bat time.

At least that's the best way to win at home. Away from home I think requires a stroke of luck with producing players + lots of A-team tours/county cricket/etc.

 

[Teja.]

I think pitches in the 2010 Australia tour to India were awesome and the best type of Indian tracks. Very good batting surfaces to start with but not complete shirtfronts and had something in it for pacers. Batsmen were hard to dislodge when set but offered enough that if a bowler gets going a collapse is very much on as it wasn't easy for new batsmen to bat themselves in. They also deteriorated in a way that they aided both pace and spin on the fifth day which supported compelling cricket.

I was watching highlights of the 2001 Kolkota test and that was a very balanced test wicket too. Very good batting surface but had quite a bit in it for both pacers and spinners from the beginning.

 

[Shady Slim]

i think that realistically the question's a bit misleading, in that as many have said, ideally you have conditions that swing early, flatten out for day 2-3 then start to get heinous come the fourth and fifth day... i've gone for "bowler friendly" there in the poll but really most english non-roads to me are the ideal sorts of pitches. "flat decks" is also a bit of a misleading term, ie, you'd rather a flat deck in the south african sense than the 2010s aussie sense for an entertaining game of cricket every day of the week and twice on sundays tbh

 

[cnerd123]

Playing sideways movement is easier than playing uneven bounce. I think what really matters is having reliable pitches. It's fine for there to be swing/seam/spin, as long as the bounce is consistent. They also need to be able to last till days 3/4 without significantly breaking up.

Nations with good quality pitches in general probably do very well tbh. Treat your groundsmen well.

 

[Flem274*]

The domestic cricket change from slow greentops to bouncy roads is the biggest influence on NZs rise, while any dobber who can roll his arm over taking stacks seems to have changed home from NZ to England.

Make of that what you will.

Ideally your domestic decks resemble your test decks as much as possible.

 

[Gob]

I like hard ones with a bit of early seam in

 

[Gob]

Seriously though you want wickets with pace and carry. Minefields of both seam and spin variety limits development of both batsmen and bowlers. I think it's well documented that its lot easier to adjust from high bounce/pace to low for batsmen. Without undermining the skills required to play quality spin, I think it's a much easier craft to get better at by working out strategies, start using feet/crease etc but being comfortable against genuine pace and bounce sort of comes far more naturally

 

[Nintendo]

Think a fine balance is needed, but if you put a gun to my head ide say flat pitches. As others have mentioned they reward batsmen who are willing to bat time more and teach bowlers to take wickets on difficult pitches. Not foolproof but better than the alternative of majority green pitches, just look at county Cricket and the current state of England's batting line-up.

 

[andruid]

Have one or two grounds specialize in greentops or dustbowls, while the rest do flatish, even bounce wickets?

 

[Line and Length]

Flat pitches are a recipe for drawn games and, while they may reward batsmen, they lead to negative field placements and dull cricket.

 

[Shady Slim]

Think a fine balance is needed, but if you put a gun to my head ide say flat pitches. As others have mentioned they reward batsmen who are willing to bat time more and teach bowlers to take wickets on difficult pitches. Not foolproof but better than the alternative of majority green pitches, just look at county Cricket and the current state of England's batting line-up.

what's happening to england isn't a result of their pitches tbh it's a result of natural justice

 

[Gob]

Probably the best

Loads of movement early on. Flattened out a bit but no so much. Good players scored runs. Ripping spin towards the end. Absolute master class from Warne and McGill