ENG-A_NATAL_PREMATCH_01JAN94

Ideal platform for Bicknell and McCague Grassy pitch should suit two England fast bowlers on their comebacks from injury (By Charles Randall, Telegraph 1 Jan 94)

The sign at the Kingsmead entrance, where England A start their match against Natal today prohibits alcohol, fire-arms, barbecues, fireworks and deckchairs - just the ingredients needed for a thumping good New Year's Day party in this part of the world. The beach-front outside the team's skyscraper hotel came alive last night with swarms of revelling holiday-makers but, despite the noise and chaos outside, Hugh Morris's England tourists would have had their quietest celebrations for years. The players had a brief practice on the Kingsmead outfield in the afternoon, and only modest celebrations were planned after the team meal. Their arrival time at the ground was set for 8am for the 9.30 start. Natal have followed the general trend in South Africa by transforming their ground into a modern stadium suitable for day-night limited-overs matches, increasing the capacity by half to 25,000. Two fine new stands have been built on the south and east sides at a cost of around @5 million. Sunshine and a sea breeze yesterday helped the ground dry out after Wednesday's storms. Even the grassy strip - which resembled mud the previous day - was baked into a texture similar to tyre rubber. Phil Russell, the Kingsmead groundsman and former Derbyshire coach, was able to prepare a pitch expected to favour bowling and batting alike, though the whole field remained vulnerable to further rain. Malcolm Marshal, Natal's captain, could prove to be an awkward proposition, and in this week's Castle Cup victory over Northern Transvaal the West Indian even switched to off-spin to exploit a turning Kingsmead pitch, taking a wicket in the process. Russell's pitch should give Martin Bicknell and Martin McCague a near-ideal platform on which to make comebacks from injury on a frustrating tour to date. Bicknell, who has not played a first-class match since Aug 1, said: "I'm not the greatest watcher of cricket, though it has helped that we've done well. I'm fed up with being 12th man - I'd rather drink the drinks than carry them. "The best season I've had in my career was last season. Getting in the Test side in the summer was what it was all about, and missing out on the last six weeks of the season didn't help. "As far as I'm concerned, everybody on this tour stands a good chance of going to the West Indies if someone in the senior side breaks down. It's how well you do out here that counts." Before today Bicknell managed only three days of cricket on this tour, having suffered a sore knee from last summer's operation and then a rib injury. McCague's return from a serious back injury has been tentative. But both bowlers are expected, in Morris's words, to be "firing on all cylinders" against Natal.