Life's a pitch for Chris Scott

JOHANNESBURG, March 20 AFP - When Chris Scott sits down to watch the World Cup final at the Wanderers on Sunday, few people will realise what a big part this virtually unknown man has played in the outcome of the game.

For 32 years, except for a three-year break from 1996, Scott has been the groundsman at Wanderers and there is nothing he does not know about the famous venue.

"I know just about every blade of grass here," Scott said ahead of the final.

His face is weather-beaten by hours under the African sun and his numerous pictures of famous tussles between South Africa and arch rival Australia, bears testimony of his commitment to prepare a perfect pitch.

"I like to think of these grounds as a stage. The players are the actors, and I am a stage manager. Once play starts, however, I stay in the background," he said.

At Wanderers, there are 10 pitches with different wickets having been used for the five World Cup games which have already been played.

Made from a special clay and compacted by hours of rolling, the preparation of the middle is an exact science.

One of the most important aspects is to get the moisture content just right.

"If the moisture content is too high, you get a soft pitch, which gets damaged by the batsmen, the bowlers and the ball. If it's too dry, it can crack, giving the ball an uneven bounce," said Scott.

The amount of grass growing also plays a huge roll on how it will perform.

Wanderers has traditionally been a fast pitch, favouring medium and speed bowlers.

For the final, however, Scott is planning a batsman's pitch which he hopes will produce total scores in the region of between 250 to 280 runs.

"I want to give the 32,000 spectators and the 1.25 billion people watching on television a batting spectacular," he said.

A testament to Scott's ability was three years ago when, after only one day of play during a rain-drenched Test against New Zealand, he was named man of the match.

"It's probably the only time ever a groundsman has been awarded that particular honour," said Scott.

But the World Cup has been the highlight.

"For 32 years I have waited for a World Cup final to be played here. The final is the be-all and end-all of cricket. The pressure on a groundsman is immense to do it right," he said.

"For me its a dream and a nightmare come true."