Pitch not up to scratch?

[aussie1st]

This isn't me blaming the pitch for our pathetic batters but found some interesting quotes.

Former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding was scathing in his assessment of the playing surface.

"I am very disappointed in this pitch," Holding fumed.

"I have never been to The Oval and seen the ball going through the top (of the pitch) like this. Even on day one we have seen this.

Oval pitch 'overcooked' to order - The Ashes 2009 - Fox Sports

A county umpire told London's Mail On Sunday that if it were a county pitch it would have been marked poor, excessively dry and with excessive turn. The newspaper reported that such a pitch at county level would see the home team docked 15 points. Teams can earn a maximum of 24 points, 14 for a win and up to five batting and bowling bonus points.

How the mighty have fallen - The Ashes 2009 - Fox Sports

Which brings us back to a similar thread started in the Cricket chat forum. The ICC need to set some sort of standard for the pitch being produced. First we have pitches being prepared for draws in the Caribbean and now we have 3rd day dust bowls being produced for day 1. Just too far in the extremes for my liking, something in between would be much better for the fans.

 

[OffCutters]

Apparently, Shane Warne thinks its a brilliant pitch. But yeah i agree, not the greatest of pitches.

 

[aussie1st]

Only thing I found on foxsports from Warne was

Shane Warne offered the bluntest, simplest assessment, that groundsman Bill Gordon, had "overbaked it a little bit to make sure there is a result".

But yea he would love it, its a spinners dream.

 

[SaiSrini]

Home advantage. How come England can score two 300 plus scores on it and the Aussies got shot out for 160? This is a little unusual that the pitch did all those things initially but now it looks to be settling down well (the Aussie openers response in the 2nd innings states that the pitch is going on the reverse).

Dont know what some people are whining for. Even if it was prepared for a result, whats wrong? Thats what home advantage is all about. Its not an extreme case when you witness wierd scores (e.g. India vs New Zealand in NZ in 2003 where both teams were shot out for 100 or below).

 

[aussie1st]

Its nothing to do with the scores produced, as mentioned by the County umpire if this was a County match the home side would have been docked points even before a ball had been bowled. If the ECB or whoever runs County cricket can see this problem and develop a solution why can't the ICC?

 

[Slowcoach]

Would you have preferred a road where both teams totalled 800 and condemned the "decider" to a boring batathon?

Stupid argument, the pitch is fine.

 

[Howsie]

Home advantage. That's all you can really say.

Australia don't really have an excuse because England still batted fairly well in the second innings (And your've already said your not making an excuse). But when you have the ball going through the top on the first day you know the pitch has problems.

But what can you really do, it's not like you can deduct points of England or anything. Massive fines maybe?

 

[aussie1st]

I guess you missed the part where I said "pitches being prepared for draws in the Caribbean"
How about preparing a pitch that is in between the two. Michael Holding a West Indian legend has complained about the pitch, if hes saying its not up to scratch I'm more than happy to go with him. I'm not blaming the groundstaff for doing it, this is up to the ICC to get standards in place.

 

[Howsie]

Would you have preferred a road where both teams totalled 800 and condemned the "decider" to a boring batathon?

Stupid argument, the pitch is fine.

If it was 1-1 or England were up 2-1 I can bet you that the pitch would of been as flat as heck.

I'd much rather see a pitch like this then the roads we usually see, but this pitch isn't "fine"

 

[pcfan123]

We need the waaaaambulence

 

[Slowcoach]

Perhaps home teams should be deducted points for producing pitches which do not favour the opposition.

 

[angryangy]

It's crap because it's almost everything the Oval shouldn't be and makes the omission of Old Trafford even more disgusting. It doesn't matter if you get a result, it's still a slow pitch, of which there are already far too many. It's just another knife in the back for Test cricket.

 

[Kev]

Its nothing to do with the scores produced, as mentioned by the County umpire if this was a County match the home side would have been docked points even before a ball had been bowled.

Pretty sure that wouldn't have been the case. Until this season ECB pitch inspectors were used in county matches and they generally went home after tea on day one. This year it's in the hands of the umpires, but England scored easily enough for this wicket to have been reported.

 

[Themer]

There's nothing wrong with this pitch at all.

Australia had a mare in their first innings that was it really England have batted quite comfortably on it.

 

[King Pietersen]

Of course Holding's not going to like it, he was a quick bowler used to getting pace and bounce off the deck. This pitch suits England, and it's been proven yesterday and in England's 1st innings that if you apply yourself you can score runs. I don't think it's a bad deck at all, it's abit slow now, but days 1 and 2 it was a very good cricket pitch.