View Full Version : An MCG Green Top - Which team would this advantage more?
There are media reports of an MCG green top being prepared for the Boxing Day Test.
Which side would this advantage more?
South Africa barely for mine:
- Steyn > Lee
- Ntini = Johnson
- Hilfenhaus = Morkel
- Kallis > Symonds
People seem intent on knocking Kallis, but on a pitch that swings and seams he is very dangerous.
bombersno1
23 Dec 2008, 19:10
Depends of Siddle plays..if he plays SA are morals.
But assuming our attack is Watson, Lee, Johnson and Hilfenhaus we'd be competitive. I'd still favour South Africa as Steyn is unplayable in those conditions and so is Kallis! Plus their batting lineup has more players in form and we are carrying 3 guys in our top 7 not in the best of form- Hayden Hussey and Symonds.
davey_magik
23 Dec 2008, 19:14
SA obviously.
Morkel > Hilfy. If it is a greentop Morkel would get sideways movement along with the ridiculous bounce and probably be unplayable.
Hope it is a greentop though, would be a great spectacle.
bombersno1
23 Dec 2008, 19:20
A greentop is better than the WACA joke we had last test. That was like playing on the Hume Highway, it was that flat.
OzBomber
23 Dec 2008, 19:28
A greentop is better than the WACA joke we had last test. That was like playing on the Hume Highway, it was that flat.Yet if we had won it would've been completely the opposite? If it was flat, then why could South Africa take 20 wickets and we could only take 14? I hate it how when we lose, everyone straight away blames the pitch. 'It was too flat" "It was too dusty" "Bla bla bla". Just get over it and accept the fact that we were beaten by a better team. There is no need for excuses.
Sure, it's not like it used to be, but it's been like this for years. Where was Ricky Ponting complaining when we racked up 550 against the Poms and all the other times that we've won?
bombersno1
23 Dec 2008, 19:31
It should be the way it is for Shield matches. That is all I expect. It is fast and bouncy for Shield matches and they produce a Adelaide Oval like pitch for the test. The WACA used to be unique, now it is the worst pitch in Australia. As for SA getting us out, well that was a combination of stupid shots (symonds and co) and good bowling..did not help we had one bowler. The pitch was a shocker though!
Blue Dimension
23 Dec 2008, 19:41
Steyn will thrive, and so will Morkel
But if Hilfenhaus can get his swing going early, and there's movement off the pitch then he's going to be very hard to play.
Imo, benefits South Africa, but i'm tipping the Aussies to hit back.
I'd prefer we play 4 quicks anyway with Hilf in ahead of Hauritz.
Ricketts
24 Dec 2008, 00:31
why could South Africa take 20 wickets and we could only take 14?
We haven't treated any bowling attack with any respect for the last decade.
I thank the gods i lived through the Warne/McGrath era.Great memories.
We are ****ed now.The team looks very average.The bowling attack is probably not even top 4 or 5 in the world,and the batting is finally being exposed because it doesn't have Warne and McGrath to fix things when mentally weak players like Symonds and Clarke get out to stupid shots.
SA aren't even that good,that is the depressing part.
DoubleO7
24 Dec 2008, 01:19
I thank the gods i lived through the Warne/McGrath era.Great memories.
We are ****ed now.The team looks very average.The bowling attack is probably not even top 4 or 5 in the world,and the batting is finally being exposed because it doesn't have Warne and McGrath to fix things when mentally weak players like Symonds and Clarke get out to stupid shots.
SA aren't even that good,that is the depressing part.
LOL! WTF?
Back to the OP, probably South Africa.
stmookeyj
24 Dec 2008, 03:52
I think Ntini could be a handful for the lefties if it were a greentop, plenty of away movement with his big angle and experience.
We are ****ed now.The team looks very average.The bowling attack is probably not even top 4 or 5 in the world,and the batting is finally being exposed because it doesn't have Warne and McGrath to fix things when mentally weak players like Symonds and Clarke get out to stupid shots.
SA aren't even that good,that is the depressing part.
Yep - Clarke's so mentally weak, it's time he stood up!
:rolleyes:
potatomasher
24 Dec 2008, 06:36
It'd advantage us. We need a win to level the series, they don't. The better the pitch for the bowlers, the better chance we have of getting a result in this game.
magpie_militia
24 Dec 2008, 08:03
It'd advantage us. We need a win to level the series, they don't. The better the pitch for the bowlers, the better chance we have of getting a result in this game.
No, they need a win to take the series. Pretty sure there is enough motivation there for them.
It'd advantage us. We need a win to level the series, they don't. The better the pitch for the bowlers, the better chance we have of getting a result in this game.
Got it.
Australia need a result pitch, 2 games left and 2 games needed by Australia to win the series (1 to draw and keep the trophy but they would rather win it)
It's possible that SA could exploit any bowling wicket just as well but Australia need a result.
potatomasher
24 Dec 2008, 10:06
No, they need a win to take the series. Pretty sure there is enough motivation there for them.
I know, but they could cope with a draw. Australia want to win the series still, and they have to win this Test to do that.
Both teams have a good batting lineup, and both teams have the pacemen as their only realistically attacking bowling options. I think the pitch will play pretty much no part in deciding which team plays better, and it will all just come down to the players.
A greentop is better than the WACA joke we had last test. That was like playing on the Hume Highway, it was that flat.
You sound just like the little man Ponting.. winge winge winge cry cry cry.
We were 3 for 15 then 7 for about 165...
Was the wicket good for their bowlers but bad for us? I didn't realse they were playing different wickets.:rolleyes:
As a WACA memeber I thought is was a great test match wicket. It went all but 5 days abnd gave both bats and bowlers a chance. they took their chance we didn't.
bombersno1
24 Dec 2008, 11:29
You sound just like the little man Ponting.. winge winge winge cry cry cry.
We were 3 for 15 then 7 for about 165...
Was the wicket good for their bowlers but bad for us? I didn't realse they were playing different wickets.:rolleyes:
As a WACA memeber I thought is was a great test match wicket. It went all but 5 days abnd gave both bats and bowlers a chance. they took their chance we didn't.
It was not a WACA pitch that is the point. You play at the WACA expecting bounce and lots of it. There was none. It should be the same pitch that is prepared for a Shield match. There was not enough for bowlers, even the good bowlers struggled on that pitch. If the WACA does not get back to where it was in the past I hope they replace the WACA with a Bellreive test each summer.
It was not a WACA pitch that is the point. You play at the WACA expecting bounce and lots of it. There was none. It should be the same pitch that is prepared for a Shield match. There was not enough for bowlers, even the good bowlers struggled on that pitch. If the WACA does not get back to where it was in the past I hope they replace the WACA with a Bellreive test each summer.
So even good bowlers struggled on that pitch???? FFS mate, Johnson got an 8 for... are you for real.... A good bowler took 8 wickets in an innings FFS. Do you remember the balls that got Kallis and AB DV playing defensive shots on the front foot. The balled moved of the seam. They were classical dismissals, a great line and good length and the pitch did enough to get the edge. Really mate I think you are listening to little Ricky too much, can’t you see he is trying to take the focus of him and the team.
So you like 3 day test matches do you?
The reality is that sponsor ship now demands a 5 day test match. We all agree that we would like to see a bit more bounce in the WACA but for ****s sake it is the same for both teams. Cameron Sutherland said he was disappointed that it was not more bounce but he is only 18 months into a 5 year plan to fix the nightmare he inherited and I recon he did a bloody good job.
it was a great test match and sore losers like you and Ricky Ponting should look at other aspects rather than the wicket because South Africa played bloody well on the last 2 days and credit to them. If it wasn’t for out tail they would have only been chasing 270 odd any way.
bombersno1
24 Dec 2008, 12:00
I have no dramas with 3 day test matches. I sure as hell rather low scoring tets than roads. I am talking about South Africa's bowling as well, Steyn struggled for a large portion of the game, so did Morkel to an extent. It was not just the Aussies struggling. These are two class performers one of which is the no1 ranked bowler in the world. If Sutherland thinks it is improving he is even more silly that I thought, it was better when he inherited the thing. The point is, the WACA has produced fast, bouncy wickets for 4 day Shield matches (which have gone 4 days) which are better wickets. Why not just prepare another one of those wickets rather than try and make it flat. The quicker they dump the pitch and replace it with another one the better.
Bond,ShaneBond
24 Dec 2008, 12:03
It will help South Africa more for two reasons-
1)Their bowlers are higher quality and will be able to take advantage more successfully
2)Australia's batsmen traditionally struggle when presented with a pitch in favour of bowlers. Even the Kiwis rolled Australia easily up in Brisbane.
I would love a green top because I believe more great Test matches are played on pitches which favour the bowlers rather than flat decks. Also I never want to see a sub-continent wicket at the MCG again, as it was last year.
The Reaper
24 Dec 2008, 12:13
It was not a WACA pitch that is the point. You play at the WACA expecting bounce and lots of it. There was none. It should be the same pitch that is prepared for a Shield match. There was not enough for bowlers, even the good bowlers struggled on that pitch. If the WACA does not get back to where it was in the past I hope they replace the WACA with a Bellreive test each summer.
There hasnt been bounce at the WACA for 4 to 5 years
The wicket was not to different from the shield wickets
I have no dramas with 3 day test matches. I sure as hell rather low scoring tets than roads. I am talking about South Africa's bowling as well, Steyn struggled for a large portion of the game, so did Morkel to an extent. It was not just the Aussies struggling. These are two class performers one of which is the no1 ranked bowler in the world. If Sutherland thinks it is improving he is even more silly that I thought, it was better when he inherited the thing. The point is, the WACA has produced fast, bouncy wickets for 4 day Shield matches (which have gone 4 days) which are better wickets. Why not just prepare another one of those wickets rather than try and make it flat. The quicker they dump the pitch and replace it with another one the better.
So you still think Johnson Struggled?
bombersno1
24 Dec 2008, 12:18
There hasnt been bounce at the WACA for 4 to 5 years
The wicket was not to different from the shield wickets
There was plenty of bounce in the 20/20 last year, there was plenty of bounce in some of the ODD domestic games this season.
bombersno1
24 Dec 2008, 12:20
So you still think Johnson Struggled?
No but Steyn, Morkel, and Lee did. All 3 are world class bowlers, especially Steyn. There was not enough in the wicket and Sutherland has no idea if he thinks it was a good wicket.
XFactor1979
24 Dec 2008, 12:25
i remembered the days when the mcg had the slowest outfield imaginable for ANY test match. not to mention odis. in odis you'd regularly struggle to score 200 because the outfield was ridiculously slow
ie hit a certain boundary shot that you would get in perth or sydney. get only 3 or 2 at the mcg
the mcg was often said to be a bowler's track regardless
There was plenty of bounce in the 20/20 last year, there was plenty of bounce in some of the ODD domestic games this season.
There a 2 sets of wicket at the WACA. The old ones and the new ones. The wicket used for the test is actually the same wicket they used for the 20 20 last year, so you can hardly blame the Curator for not picking and preparing the best wicket.
Yes it would have been nice if it had some more bounce but just because little Ricky says he wants it a certain way,m dioesn't mean he gets it; Their are other factors. Factors like ME who pay a few hundred dollar membership each year and I want as close to 5 days of a good test as possible. I dont want to see the ball bouncing head high of a length just so you and the media have something to stroke on about.
Lets look at the facts;
Johnson got and 8 for in the matches 2nd innings (SAs 1st)
Aust were 3 for 15 all caught behind the wicket, It was bounce that got Hayden and Hussey.... Fact
Aust were 7 for 160 odd in the their second innings.. Fact
In the 4th Innings the Harpies played beautiful cricket, they won becayuse they batted really reaklly well and not because of the wicket. Do you really ecpect the wicket to bounce on teh 5th day anyway?
No but Steyn, Morkel, and Lee did. All 3 are world class bowlers, especially Steyn. There was not enough in the wicket and Sutherland has no idea if he thinks it was a good wicket.
I went to 4 of th 5 days and everyone around me thought it was a great wicket. Maybe you shopuld watch more rather than read what little Ricky says in the media.
bombersno1
24 Dec 2008, 13:32
I went to 4 of th 5 days and everyone around me thought it was a great wicket. Maybe you shopuld watch more rather than read what little Ricky says in the media.
It is not a good wicket if 700 runs are scored in the last 2 days. The bowlers basically had nothing to work with in the pitch. It is a bad sign for the WACA if spinners are playing a big role in terms of the number of overs bowled.
bombersno1
24 Dec 2008, 13:35
In the 4th Innings the Harpies played beautiful cricket, they won becayuse they batted really reaklly well and not because of the wicket. Do you really ecpect the wicket to bounce on teh 5th day anyway?
There was no bounce on the 1st day, let alone the 5th. The pitch was "dead" so to speak. No movement. Frankly there was not enough grass on the wicket, it looked like an Adelaide Oval pitch and played exactly like an Adelaide Oval pitch. At least the Adelaide Oval you expect the pitch to play that way. I wish Sutherland would come out and just say we made a mistake, which it is blind obvious he did. I don't want it bouncing head height off length, but at the same time I don't want balls not carrying to the keeper on the "apparently fastest wicket in Australia". I agree finding a middle ground is hard, but that is what curators are paid to do.