Is the Oval stagnating like the Windies pitches of the past? - Opinion
Over the years, the pitch at the Kia Oval has provided some exciting contests between the bat and the ball. Its reputation as the fastest track in the UK has never really waned; yet, what has been noticed in recent times is the amount of turn that the pitch
at the has had to offer, especially during the later stages of a 5-day game.
One can think of the 2009 Ashes series, where the Final Test was played on a dust bowl that was similar to the pitches of the sub continent. Spinners such as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/GP-Swann-c1501 who would pitch the ball outside the left handed batsman’s off stump managed to make
the delivery zip, to the top of his leg. It is astonishing that this trend of extracting turn on what initial looked like a placid pitch has become regular viewing even today. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Imran-c64193 Tahir’s ability to turn the ball a mile in the latter part of Day four of
the First Investec Test match is one case in point. The ball not only turned, but zipped off the track, only to leave http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AJ-Strauss-c964 bamboozled. The result was an extravagant shot from Strauss, which only lead to a top edge and a simple catch for the fieldsman.
Strauss’ dismissal contradicts the fact that the Oval was once the fastest track in the country, and beating the inner ring would almost guarantee a boundary. It was similar to the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, yet retained its characteristic of being
a run machine, unlike Joburg, where the track used to assist the quicks as well. Other pitches around the world have undergone a similar trend, where the desire to see more runs on the board has prompted groundsmen to keep grass off of the turf. This fact
has resulted in tracks which do not hold together well enough and would turn a mile and crumble easily when the sun comes out.
The pace quartet of the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 during the 1980s played a primary role in producing tracks which were conducive to quality fast bowling. There wasn’t a prettier site then watching chin music from the stands to a batsman who sways away from the line of
the ball. The Sabina Park track in Kingston, Jamaica, was once one of the fastest tracks in the Caribbean alongside the Kensington Oval. The site of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Courtney-Andrew-Walsh-c51620 extracting sharp bounce was what the
locals bayed for and they got it from their grounds staff. Yet if one is to play a Test match at Jamaica in contemporary times, then spin continues to dominate. It seems as if a http://www.senore.com/Cricket/BAW-Mendis-c1127 would be the one who might be
whispering death. Holding’s successors would most obviously be spinners who baffle the batsmen on a track which was once the fastest in the Caribbean.
It is sad that the Oval has gone down the same lane of being lifeless. In a country where pitches continue to dry up, which delights the batsmen, the bowler’s tasks become more cumbersome. To be a decent bowler, who is rearing to go on an Oval pitch, this
is indeed a damning indictment.
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