Parker reflects on Shield abandonment

SCG curator Tom Parker has spoken for the first time about the embarrassing abandonment of a Sheffield Shield match between New South Wales and Victoria last November due to a playing surface deemed unfit for first-class cricket.

The Bushrangers were awarded outright points after the rain-affected match was called off by the umpires due to a shifty and unsound surface that had caused numerous fielders to slip over during the 34.2 overs able to be bowled.

Parker and the SCG Trust had maintained at the time that the ground was playable, but the issue was to be the catalyst for frank and urgent discussion between the ground's custodians and their tenants. The outcome has been a more regimented plan for the SCG's transition from football to cricket seasons and more regular, detailed dialogue between the Trust, Cricket NSW and the Sydney Sixers BBL team.

"I think at the time the decision was made and once that decision was made there was nothing we could do about it to reverse," Parker said. "All we could do was move forward and try to work together with our partners to ensure that nothing like that can happen again and that we put any concerns to rest.

"Our position at the SCG is that the ground's always ready to play for all first-class events and I think we've moved on from that. We've sat down and discussed things with our partners as well. We have a great relationship with Cricket Australia and Cricket New South Wales at present."

Parker is happy with the pitch this season, which has taken more spin than in recent years, while also offering something for the seam bowlers. He welcomed Australia's selection of Steve O'Keefe as a spin twin for Nathan Lyon, but was more concerned about a bleak weather forecast - solid rain is predicted for days two and three.

"That is the concerning part of the match, I think day one we're going to see some showers come in late in the afternoon," Parker said. "So hopefully we'll get a majority of play in on day one, day two and day three they're predicting 40mm each day, so that's a lot of rain. We'll wait and see, hopefully that'll change and we'll have some clear skies, but it's not looking good at the moment."

A crowd of more than 30,000 is expected for day one. "The weather's going to play a big part in this," Parker said, "so if the forecast is correct you're probably looking at a five-day Test match."