England’s hopes for an Adelaide paradise could fall flat, with data showing drop-in wickets have turned the country’s best Test batting wicket into the toughest.
Staring down the barrel of an irredeemable 3-0 series deficit, England coach Brendon McCullum has predicted Adelaide’s pitch will suit his team’s style.
Part of that is no doubt due to the fact it offers less bounce than Perth and Brisbane, where Australia’s quicks routinely drew the edges of the tourists.
But any thought of Adelaide being the kind of flat track England have thrived on in home conditions during the BazBall era could well be misplaced.
Long considered to be the flattest wicket in the country, Test batters averaged 37.25 on the old permanent pitch through the first 13 years of this century.
Only Cazaly’s Stadium in Cairns, which hosted two Tests in 2003 and 2004, had a higher figure during that period.
With a drop-in wicket those numbers have come down significantly, with Test batting averages on the ground at 26.81 over the past decade.
Again, only the rarely used Bellerive Oval in Hobart has been statistically harder for batters.
And while most of those Tests have been with a pink ball, statistically the two with the red ball have been lower-scoring games, with averages coming down and no team total beyond 320.
“Pitches have changed a bit since (2013),” curator Damian Hough said, admitting it took a summer or two for ground staff to adapt to the drop-in wickets.
“Back then we were probably going for the old type of pitch, where it would break up and stay low on days four and five.
“The drop-ins don’t deteriorate like the old square. Since 2015 we’ve left more grass and we’ve felt it’s been a much better contest for us.”
Hough said on Monday that ground staff left the same amount of grass on the wicket, regardless of whether a pink or red ball was in use.
Spinners could also be more likely to come into play in this Test, with the pitch to be baked on the first three days with forecast highs of 35C, 39C and 34C.
Speaking at a Cooper’s Pale Ale promotion, local boy Alex Carey said it was wrong to think Adelaide was only good for batters.
“In terms of flatness, I think Adelaide is very consistent, which doesn’t make it a batting paradise the whole time,” Carey said.
“There is always something with the new ball, but there is always something for the batters to score big runs.
“I love playing here, Trav (Head) loves playing here, the Australian cricket team loves playing here. I think there will be enough in it for bat and ball.
“Sheffield Shield wickets this year have been great for batting and bowling. A bit of spin comes into it late.”
BATTING AVERAGES BY TEST VENUE OVER PAST DECADE
SCG: 36.38
MCG: 30.54
Gabba: 28.39
Adelaide Oval (day-night): 28.07
Perth Stadium: 27.23
Adelaide Oval (day): 22.77
Bellerive Oval: 18.40
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