BITCHES ON PITCHES

[mal]

Got a call from a non SAFOOTY poster called Pirate Pete on a topic he wants presented.
Pirate Pete reckons the longevity of Australian dominance since Test inception is partly due
to do with the way we prepare our pitches in the homeland.
When oppositon countries land on our shores for batte it becomes :
" BITCHES ON PITCHES."
Opposition sides in general find it extremely difficult to adjust to our faster bouncier pitches
A majority of Batsman with great averages dwindle when touring in Australia.
Our Batsman adjust and perform adequately away from home on generally slower wickets.

Pirate Pete suggests other nations should produce similar pitches to Australia and
with this concept will be able to tour places like Australia and improve on thier records.

Whats a bit puzzling is how frequently opposition quicks with good averages on slower decks
come to Australia and fail at times disMALly.

FERNANDO
MALINGA
2 quicks who average about 30 odd and bowl at speeds at about 140kms.
2 good performers at test level
They come here on our pitches which suits quicks and average nearly double thier career averages.

Pirate Petes investigations show these averages on Australian pitches
FAST BOWLERS IN AUSTRALIAN TEST MATCHES IN THE LAST 20 YEARS
AUSTRALIA averages about 25 per wicket
OPPOSITION averages about 50 per wicket

Granted our quicks are usually better but thats a big differential

The solution
Change thier pitches and emulate a successful long term team like Australia
OR
be our BITCHES ON our PITCHES

[locky801]

so whats the problem, curators all over the world prepare pitches to favour the home side, its just done more blatantly in some countries than others, hasn't really had to be done in Aust for years because of the bowlers we have had in the likes of McGrath and Warne, also have to remember I think our batsman are alot better than those around the world and that comes from our junior programme, just look how many times our Under 19 side goes to places like India, Pakistan, sri Lanka to play, then look how many times their under 19's sides come over here, very very rarely, our kids are taught how to bat and bowl on all different types of wickets, get these countries U19 sides to come over to Aust to play some U19 tests so they also get used to our bouncier pitches, I think you would find then, things may change for the better of visiting test sides

[Dogwatcher]

Hmmmm the Bellerive Road was really prepared with our bowlers in mind....and what about Adelaide....

[mal]

Hmmmm the Bellerive Road was really prepared with our bowlers in mind....and what about Adelaide....

Our pitches in general as a whole are bouncier than most overseas decks.
Look at the sub continent the ball hardly gets over stump high of a length.

[Dogwatcher]

I see that point. But that's a feature of our country. Their decks are dusty because that's the feature of their country.

What does your friend suggest we do?

If he's suggesting make our decks less bouncy, then it's just another case of trying to pander to countries that aren't up to our standard by making us less dominant. Again, it's up to those countries to do something about it. We're beating them on their home decks too, so their skills are obviously the problem.

[mal]

DOGWATCHER
They have to prepare thier pitches not us.

Looking around the succesfull sides over long periods of times
those that prepare pitches that assist quick bowlers have the most success ?

Right now
SA
EG
AU
Are arguably the top 3 in the world
And coincidently the tracks are bouncy in SA and swing in EG

[jackpot jim]

Bowlers generally struggle when they come to Australia Bcos
1/ Australia have the BEST Batsmen in the World

and

2/ Their STUPID captains keep sending Australia into bat when the Pitch is at its Best on Days 1 + 2.

Also their Fielders are Crap and when they do Find the Edge, its invariably Dropped in the Slips where as the Aussies tend to Snaffle Everything.

[locky801]

I see that point. But that's a feature of our country. Their decks are dusty because that's the feature of their country.

What does your friend suggest we do?

If he's suggesting make our decks less bouncy, then it's just another case of trying to pander to countries that aren't up to our standard by making us less dominant. Again, it's up to those countries to do something about it. We're beating them on their home decks too, so their skills are obviously the problem.

Have to agree with that, thats why cricket is a little unique, different countries, different conditions, just remember it wasn't all that long ago when we went to places like India and Pakistan we got beaten, just now with our Academy and tours for the youngsters, it give them the experience and skill to deal with those conditions and prepares them well if they make it into the test arena

[redden whites]

DOGWATCHER
They have to prepare thier pitches not us.

Looking around the succesfull sides over long periods of times
those that prepare pitches that assist quick bowlers have the most success ?

Right now
SA
EG
AU
Are arguably the top 3 in the world
And coincidently the tracks are bouncy in SA and swing in EG

Mal,how exactly do you prepare a swinging pitch.

[RustyCage]

When I saw the title of the thread, I thought it had something to do with Jodie Blewetts comments about womens cricket

[locky801]

When I saw the title of the thread, I thought it had something to do with Jodie Blewetts comments about womens cricket

don't think we had better go there

[mal]

Former NZ cricketer Mark Richardson makes this press statement
WHERE HAVE ALL THE FAST MEN GONE ? 22/11/07

"" In NZ there appears to be unfamiliarity with genuine fast bowling. The first class scene is dominated by meduim pacers on wickets that offer little BOUNCE but plenty of sideways movements. This means that debutants are called on to confront bowling of a completely different standard when they get a call up to Test Cricket."

Richardson also mentions that NZ quick Shane Bond
has played 17 tests in the last 6 years and have won over 50% of those matches

Since 2003
NZ record in tests
33 TESTS
9 WINS
10 DRAWS
14 LOSSES

Of the 9 wins
6 against the mighty Bangers/Zimbis+ Windies


MALS SOLUTION

Prepare faster BOUNCIER wickets and breed a generation of more adaptable cricketers

[spell_check]

While on the whole, Australian pitches do have the bounce in them; it's really a variety of pitches on offer:

Traditionally Sydney and then Adelaide offer the spin
Perth has the bounciest and fastest wicket
Adelaide and Hobart are regarded as a batsman's paradise

I also think why we are also outstanding away from home is because of this variety of wickets at home.

The sub-continent usually struggles outside of the sub-continent because those wickets are low and slow and more spin friendly.
New Zealand pitches are trundlers delights; then they find it tough on the bouncy wickets.
As I stated in another thread, when the Windies were at their peak, they still found it tough on the spin wickets - they had no quality spin bowlers, nor the pitches to accomodate for one.

[mal]

Good summation SC
Our pitches are not that one dimensional
However the nature of those pitches differ in p/cup cricket
Adelaide in tests is a road for 3-4 days and on 4-5 days becomes difficult to bat on
In pura cup cricket it seams and bounces a lot more and harder to bat on.

In essence Aust + South africa produce more bouncier livelier pitches than most
AU is number 1 and SA are usually top 2-5 in the world

[stan]

Good summation SC
Our pitches are not that one dimensional
However the nature of those pitches differ in p/cup cricket
Adelaide in tests is a road for 3-4 days and on 4-5 days becomes difficult to bat on
In pura cup cricket it seams and bounces a lot more and harder to bat on.

In essence Aust + South africa produce more bouncier livelier pitches than most
AU is number 1 and SA are usually top 2-5 in the world

That should be telling you something.

The countries that love there slow, low spinning pitches will turn there batsmen into lambs on other pitches. India will always find it hard to win in South Africa, Australia, England etc. There players will make plenty of runs over there. But hey not really much use if you can only win in 50% of the world.