Officials slam dull pitch (4 March 1999)

4 March 1999

Officials slam dull pitch

Geoff Longley in Auckland

New Zealand and Auckland cricket officials have slammed the slow and lifeless Eden Park wicket that killed the first test between New Zealand and South Africa as spectacle.

From early on, the first test at Eden Park was destined for a draw, once the nature of the pitch had been ascertained.

This was reaffirmed on the final day yesterday when New Zealand batted all day, losing only three wickets in its second innings for 244 runs.

The barren Eden Park pitch was the only winner, after a fungal infection killed most of the grass on the wicket block and glue was added to bind the surface of the pitch.

Auckland chief executive Lindsay Crocker was extremely unhappy with the pitch and intends exerting what influence he can to make sure it is never repeated.

"No-one enjoys a game like this, the players didn't seem to, nor did the spectators. Glueing the pitch was probably the lesser of two evils and it produced a low, slow wicket, which bored everyone's socks off."

"I love watching the game, but I couldn't stand it," said Crocker, a former first-class player.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Chris Doig expressed similar dismay at the surface, while the captains were more diplomatic.

Black Caps skipper Dion Nash admitted the match was not much of a spectacle and that the pitch was too flat. "When Allan Donald, the fastest bowler in the world, struggles to get the ball through above waist height with any venom, it tells you it's a little over-prepared."

Nash, who has been regularly ribbed by his team-mates for sending South Africa in to bat on the first day and watching the tourists score 621 for five, said he knew it was probably the wrong decision after half an hour into the first day.

"I thought our best chance was to bowl first in the cloudy conditions. But the ball has not really swung over the whole five days, which is pretty bizarre for Auckland, because you can usually rely on some humidity here."

South African skipper Hansie Cronje said he would like to have seen what Australian leg spinners Shane Warne and Stuart McGill could have done in yesterday's conditions when the wicket was turning.

Cronje felt the Proteas were capable of exerting pressure on New Zealand with early wickets yesterday but, Matthew Bell apart, they never came with just one falling per session.

With its vaunted pace bowlers hamstrung by the lifeless pitch, South Africa's best chance was with spin, but 21-year old left-armer Paul Adams was unable to shoulder such a burden.

Matthew Horne, Roger Twose, and Nathan Astle all took the chance to get some batting practice and advance their test averages with solid half centuries.

Black Caps wickets fell far less frequently than on the fourth day and the home side can take comfort from that.

The New Zealand team also ended South Africa's successive test winning streak which stood at 5-0 after the West Indies series.

Christchurch's Jade Stadium will now effectively host the start of the BNZ test series when the two teams meet again next Thursday.

The Christchurch wicket will hopefully be bouncier with good grass cover, which will offer a more even contest between bat and ball.

Meanwhile, the visitors' next match is against New Zealand A at Lincoln Green, near Christchurch, starting on Saturday.

The New Zealand team for the second test will be named on Sunday.

Source :: The Christchurch Press (https://www.press.co.nz/)