Australian Pitch Discussion

Revered curator questions need for SCG drop-in.

Andrew Wu.

Sydney Morning Herald.

Wednesday, 11 December 2019.

PTG 2968-14725.

One of Australia's pre-eminent groundsmen, Les Burdett, has questioned the need for the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) to use a drop-in pitch and was confident the Melbourne Cricket Ground’s (MCG) controversial pitch would be fine for the Boxing Day Test.  Burdett, who has been called in by Cricket Australia to solve the MCG's woes, dismissed the venue's latest pitch dramas as "huff and puff” (PTG 2967-14721, 10 December 2019).

Burdett has given MCG curator Matt Page the thumbs up in preparing a satisfactory surface for the Boxing Day Test.  The abandoned Shield game between Victoria and Western Australia prompted fears the Test would be moved. Burdett, however, dismissed those suggestions, saying:  "That's all huff and puff, isn't it?  I never say 100 per cent but I'm 99.99 per cent sure everything will be fine. It's only prevailing [weather] conditions that can give poor old Pagey any problems”.  He said the removal of the concrete slab on which the MCG drop-in used to rest - it now rests on sand - would help create a more sporting wicket.

As debate rages over the quality of pitches around Australia, Burdett, who is a member of the SCG pitch subcommittee, raised doubts about why the SCG Trust would need to replace its traditional wicket block.  The SCG Trust is reviewing the wicket's future amid a push from the Australian Football League (AFL), which stages games during the winter, for the square's removal (PTG 2858-14207, 20 July 2019).

The ground's surface came under scrutiny two months ago after it hosted extra National Rugby League (NRL), Super Rugby and A-League football games due to the redevelopment of the adjacent football stadium.  NSW were forced to move their first home Shield game from the SCG due to damage to the pitch square from a Sydney Roosters training session in the lead-up to the NRL grand final (PTG 2919-14484, 14 October 2019).

Burdett, who worked at Adelaide Oval for 40 years and was closely involved with the trust on the drop-in issue, said: "I think it's horses for courses. It's subject to all the traffic. The biggest problem with Sydney is because the football stadium's [currently] gone, they're playing soccer, rugby union, rugby league and AFL.  Everyone's training and playing on it. It makes it pretty hard for a living organism to grow. It's all about traffic”.

The new Sydney football stadium is expected to be completed in 2022, which would reduce traffic on the SCG pitch.  "That's the question, isn't it? All going well, they won't need it. The other codes go back to the footy stadium, leave the in-ground pitches there”,Burdett said. "So why rush into it?  IIn a perfect world, a cricket lover wants a pitch that sits in the middle. You look at Adelaide with all the football and concerts they host, to have the opportunity to put a pitch on the number two ground and bring it out when you need - it is pretty easy”, Burdett said.

Cricket authorities fear a drop-in pitch would rob the spin-friendly SCG of its characteristics and lead to boring play. The AFL wants a change as it believes it would improve the code as a spectacle. The league’s Sydney Swans side play eleven home games, plus finals if they qualify, at the SCG, and have a lease until 2047.

Melbourne Cricket Ground Dangerous

First class match abandoned due to 'unsafe’ MCG pitch.

Jon Pierik.

Melbourne Age.

Sunday, 8 December 2019.

PTG 2965-14706.

The Sheffield Shield first class match between Victoria and Western Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) was abandoned on Sunday, plunging the venue into crisis less than three weeks before the summer's showpiece cricketing event.  Play had been suspended the previous afternoon just 40 overs into what was day one of the match with WA 3/89 because the pitch was deemed dangerous and unsafe (PTG 2964-14704, 7 December 2019).

After an inspection on Sunday morning before play was to due to resume at 10 am local time, WA captain Marsh and Victorian counterpart Peter Handscomb agreed the pitch had not improved sufficiently and the match was called off. Match referee Bob Parry and umpires Phil Gillespie and Geoff Joshua had all come to the conclusion on Saturday that the pitch had been unsafe.

Cricket Australia will now work with Cricket Victoria and the Western Australian Cricket Association to reschedule the match. If no date can be found, each team will be awarded three points as per Sheffield Shield Playing Conditions.

The drama has heaped more pressure on MCG curator Matt Page and sparked more worries about the pitch to be used in the Boxing Day Test against New Zealand.  That pitch will be different to the one used in this game, but adds to concerns given the pitch used there for the Ashes Test in 2017 was rated poor by the International Cricket Council (PTG 2316-11701, 14 January 2018), and last austral summer against India had only improved to a rating of ‘average’ (PTG 2686-13423, 4 January 2019).

Melbourne Cricket Club chief Stuart Fox remains confident a good pitch will be delivered for the Test against the Black Caps, at a time when the venue has invested millions of dollars in upgrading the drop-in pitches, although new surfaces won't be ready for another couple of years.  Last December Fox accepted full responsibility for the MCG’s pitch problems but urged fans to be patient, saying change was on its way as his club was well into a five-year plan to replace the 15-year-old drop-ins with new, clay-rich, strips (PTG 2684-13415, 31 December 2018).