Two full days baking in Melbourne sunshine earlier than the Boxing Day Test begins may very well be essential to the pitch preparation for MCG curator Matt Page after an preliminary inspection from the South Africans discovered it a “little bit soft”.
After coaching on Friday Proteas’ batting coach Justin Sammons in truth mentioned the wicket was softer on the similar stage of preparations than the Gabba wicket in Brisbane which was rated as “below average” after the opening Test was gained by Australia inside two days.
Last 12 months’s Boxing Day Test lasted lower than three days, as native hero Scott Boland took 6-7 to rock England on debut.
The Victorian, who stays not sure if he’ll get to play once more this 12 months, was adamant the MCG wicket had produced a “good battle between bat and ball” for most up-to-date matches he’s performed on the iconic venue.
But Sammons, who famous it was “less green” than the Gabba pitch, wasn’t enthused by what he noticed on first inspection.
“I felt it earlier, I had a look. It‘s still a couple days out so it’s gonna be tough to say but it was a little bit soft at the moment, but yeah, we’ll see where it’s at in two or three days time,” he mentioned.
“It’s different in it’s colour complexion (to the Gabba), a little bit less green. There is grass on the wicket, but it’s less green. At the moment is it is a little bit softer than the Gabba was at this stage.”
Despite the early have a look at the pitch Sammons mentioned there was no considerations from his crew a few repeat of the Gabba debacle, the place the Proteas had been all out for 99 of their second innings.
He mentioned his batting outfit didn’t “play to our potential” and circumstances couldn’t be an excuse.
“But both teams play on it. At the end of the day, you know, we can‘t use the conditions as an excuse,” he mentioned.
“The bottom line is we didn’t play to our potential, if we did, we would have had a better chance of winning the game.
“So yeah, both teams play on the surface and it’s who adapts best. Obviously, they showed that in the first test, and we’ve got to make sure that we correct that.”
Boland, who was picked for Boxing Day final summer season after being described as an “MCG expert” by choice chief George Bailey having taken wickets when the pitch was flat and didn’t lend itself to bowlers.
But whereas Boland has proven himself able to taking wickets anyplace, he conceded the brand new MCG wicket was higher for bowling, however not a one-way pitch.
“There used to be stages during Sheffield Shield seasons, we rock up and it would look like a one-day wicket … it never really broke up, there was never really footmarks on the wicket at all was always just sort of the same thing,” Boland mentioned.
“So yeah, now (Page) has come in, leaves a little bit more grass on the wicket, he’s got a bit mote pace in it which is really nice. When it’s like that … if you bat really well you can score runs and if you put the ball in a good area all the time, you‘re always in the game.”
Originally printed as South African MCG pitch inspections not inspiring confidence for Boxing Day
