Am in broad and solid agreement with you wallaby, but being SDMB, just to hair-line split a few technicalities …
I don’t think the problem is the centre square is being scarified by football boots, in fact to the contrary. I think that annual “tilling” of the surface is conducive to producing fair cricket pitches. The problem is that this requires time between winter and summer seasons, and the MCG doesn’t have it. The groundsmen need to grow the even summer thatch of couch grass whilst rolling the surface to a hardness that isn’t conducive to grass growth. The MCG hosts 3 AFL games per week til the end of September. The SCG hosts one AFL game per fortnight. The other winter tenants are the Rugby Union Waratahs who played only three (of their 8 home) games there in 2019. For the winter codes the the outfield surface can be more problematic than the centre wicket. The comparatively low use is why the SCG and the Gabba can continue to have reasonable pitches from permanent centre wicket areas.
For the MCG with limited preparation time, even with a drop-in, if the choice is between 1) rolling the life out of it to produce a concrete road or 2) letting the grass grow to produce a fire breathing green top, it’s the batsmen whose interests win the day. Plus the effect on TV rights for games concluded in two days isn’t healthy.
The WACA wasn’t major AFL ground. Yes, Weagles used it from 1987 to 2000 and were joined by Freo in 1995, but both relocated in 2000 and WACA redevelopment in 2002 saw the ground configuration become too small for AFL. In the last couple of seasons before the move to the new Perth Stadium the quality of the WACA pitches deteriorated severely to sub Test standard.
Yes, Adelaide is an outlier where the combination of the soil they use, a lot less usage than the MCG coupled with the expertise of Les Burdett and his proteges meant you usually get result wickets through natural deterioration over five days.
Not coincidentally, Les has been coaxed from retirement to get the MCG pitch up to standard for Boxing Day. If anyone can do it, it’s Les but the guy who “mucked up” the last Shield surface is no nonce at his craft.
Hair-splitting is why we are here! Cricket and the Dope - this is going to take a lot of beers!
There certainly is an argument that the ‘work’ done to the pitch by boots during the football season can be conducive to a good cricket wicket. How much is too much is a good question. Unfortunately, due to the demands of football, the mudheaps in the middle during winter became unacceptable. (God, I played on some terrible bogs in my youth). Drop-ins seemed a good solution - and probably are, when (if) they get them right. Another issue may be drainage - grounds drain so well these days, that there is probably a completely different ‘moisture holding profile’ in the soil across the oufield. Whether this affects the drop-in - I don’t know - but it’s probably another factor. It does mean the outfields are universally superb (if struggling with the power in scrums these days). Well, they look superb on the TV.
I see the curator at the WACA is already in damage control mode for the test against the Kiwis, saying ‘It will crack, but not too much’. Hmmmmmm. We shall see.
The WACA was used by Perth Football club as it’s home ground up until the 1960s, and fairly regularly after that for a few games every season (State of Origin was played there). It always got a fair chunk of use. The Rugby league team played there during its brief existence.
My local oval is Drummoyne, which is curated by Tom Parker’s crew who manage the SCG and North Sydney Oval. It’s a permanent centre wicket of reasonable quality.
The WBBL play a lot of fixtures there, also interstate limited overs games and the odd first class match.
Each year about 20 cubic yards of sand are top-dressed into the oval. The grass thatch is now 75mm thick. Luxurious but slow. No school athletic record at the ground has fallen in the past 5 years, by the same kids who are setting records at meets held on synthetic surfaces. The outfield drains so well (except for the fringes of the centre square where water pools off the covers) that the ground almost burps after rain.
Also, even in winter the covers are deployed when weather is threatening in the latter part of the week. Consequently the pitch resembles a bowling green almost the whole year. Not only just the terrible bogs of yesteryear, you’d also have memories of packing scrums on pitches that were breaking up and the surface was effectively 1cm cube ball bearings with sharp edges. Fucking horrible stuff to fall on.
The groundsman’s view is that most of the water that supports the centre wicket structure (and therefore the solid base of the pitch) percolates across from the outfield. What water gets put onto the pitch itself is just to grow the grass on the surface. Therefore without due care he can prepare a wicked green-top which cracks on the second day because it’s a shallow green veneer on a bone dry subsurface.
Tea, Day 1 Aust v NZ at Perth
Aust won the toss and batted for 2-160.
Labruschagne 68 off 127 Smith 31 off 101, Warner out for 43 quite brilliantly c&b by Wagner.
This is a dammed good Kiwi outfit and if Boult was fit they’d have been favourites.
I’m a late convert to Lambruschagne band wagon.still not fully aboard.
Batting #3 and bowling legspin for Australia is Boys Own Annual stuff.
Some guys who really know their cricket (Ricky Ponting being lead) think he is potentially at the very top of world class. I don’t like the way he uses his helmet as part of his defence rather than eyes and footwork, but what the fuck would I know.
Smith is struggling a bit and even by his unorthodox standards is losing his shape on occasion trying to get the scoreboard ticking over.
Upcoming is the first session of Test cricket under lights in Perth so it’d all a bit unknown as to what to expect from here.
Australia all out for 416. I had feared they’d get over 500. NZ need a big score to stay in this. With Ferguson lame as well I really can’t see them bowling Aussie out for much less next innings.
I was beginning to think that Williamson & Taylor were batting well enough against high class bowling in tough conditions to get through to stumps. Then add a catch of absolute quality and in short order the Kiwis are under the cosh at 5-109.
I think you are a harsh judge. Australia scored 56 runs up until the drinks break of the last session. Two balls later Labuschange mishit one, obviously trying to keep the score moving, then Burns got a beauty. Smith looked to move things along but the Kiwis seem to have worked out a plan that has his measure for the moment. After that, Head is rubbish. Paine faced two balls.
Maybe they shouldn’t have batted Wade since he is colour blind and has trouble picking up the pink ball. He would probably have preferred batting lower down the order than being hit so often. And Southee and Wagner bowled really well. I think it was just that they had the better of it.
Yeah, maybe.
The NZ approach is exemplary.
But they banging it in short at medium pace and the Aussies decided to defend and get taken on the body rather than attack? We are going to see more of that?
If they had been all out for 150 but given NZ 45 minutes with a new ball under lights, and another crack under lights with a new ball today if needed was much better than their current position. If they don’t declare immediately they might not get that chance today.
What little chance the Kiwis had of saving the Test have been maximised.
The injured Hazewood is padded up to bat. What der hey?
He’s not going to bowl. He’s going to miss the next Test. He’s a genuine #11.
No batsmen on the cusp of a century or milestone. Lead now 450.
We hoping for a handy half dozen run or to hold up an end when there is a well above non-zero chance of a twist putting arguably the best workhorse in the country out for the series?
Some sanity prevails and Aus close 9 down.
Interesting technical question, did they declare or are all out with Hazelwood unable to bat?
I think the former as he was padded up.
Ben Stokes has won Sports Personality of the Year, as well as being part of the Team of the Year, although Moment of the Year was Buttler knocking the bails off at the end of that final.
Just went on YouTube and saw a video from Sky Sports titled “England collapse on day one!”. I must admit, from that description I was expecting a lot worse than 263/9. I mean, obviously it’s not great, especially the top order, but it’s not like we’re miles behind in the game at this stage. Denly seemed to be playing nicely.
