How quick is the WACA now?

[Dipper]

Over here in England there's been a few newspaper articles saying that the WACA has got a lot of it's pace back, not to the extent it once had but significantly more than in recent years.

Anyone confirm how much truth is in this, obviously haven't got to see much of it myself to form an opinion so any views would be appreciated.

And following on from that who in England attack is most likely to prosper if they bowl reasonably well, (is Tremlett likely to be a real goer on it)?

And for the spinners when/if does it start turning appreciably or is just from the rough that they get much help.

It's hard from an England perspective to know because the games there involving us tend to be over so quickly that 4th and 5th day conditions aren't familiar territory.

 

[mattymac]

i wouldn't worry champ. it'll be over before you can blink and we're gonna spank yas










...maybe

 

[HeavyPop]

Wicket looks pretty green so I reckon Broad would have had some success if he were playing. Tremlett should go alright, but I'm hearing Bresnan is likely to play.

 

[Dipper]

i wouldn't worry champ. it'll be over before you can blink and we're gonna spank yas










...maybe

That's the spirit.

 

[Dipper]

Wicket looks pretty green so I reckon Broad would have had some success if he were playing.

If it starts a bit green and there's decent pace then it could be carnage couldn't it?

I would have thought in that case Australia would have been better off with just the 3 quicks with Watson to back up and had the 6th batsman in there.

I know they've rejigged the side with the view that they need 20 wickets but if it's clearly a result wicket then they might be light on batting.

So anyway what about the pace?

 

[HeavyPop]

Curator has said it should offer good pace and bounce, also says he doesn't expect alot of seam movement.

I'd probably take 4 quicks and Smith. Looks like it will start cracking after a few days so you would want a spinner.

 

[mattymac]

a bit faster than at its worst but still nothing on its heyday. just hasn't got the clay anymore. shield pitches have been pretty lively but test strips have been disappointing the last few years.

 

[Dipper]

Curator has said it should offer good pace and bounce, also says he doesn't expect alot of seam movement.

I'd probably take 4 quicks and Smith. Looks like it will start cracking after a few days so you would want a spinner.

So the fact it's green won't have too much effect, cos when they start green over here the ball goes mental off the seam.

 

[Damon_3388]

Skeptical view is skeptical, but don't they say every year that "the WACA bounce/pace is back"?

Still remember the days of the earthquake cracks down the middle of the WACA tarmac

 

[Sman-21]

They keep trying to tell us the waca is getting back to its old glory days.

But it isnt even close to how it used to be.
Still got more bounce than most other wickets so will take some getting used to.

The taller bowlers will do well an i think tremlett is englands tall one so he should get played.
Tallish spinners will love bowling there anyday once the afternoon sea breeze(freo doctor) comes in, helps them get flight an dip an coz of the extra bounce they get alot of edges.

Def do not play just 4 quicks at the WACA anymore them days are long gone.
3 quicks, specialist spinner are a must have now.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

They keep trying to tell us the waca is getting back to its old glory days.

But it isnt even close to how it used to be.
Still got more bounce than most other wickets so will take some getting used to.

The taller bowlers will do well an i think tremlett is englands tall one so he should get played.
Tallish spinners will love bowling there anyday once the afternoon sea breeze(freo doctor) comes in, helps them get flight an dip an coz of the extra bounce they get alot of edges.

Def do not play just 4 quicks at the WACA anymore them days are long gone.
3 quicks, specialist spinner are a must have now.

Every year there is that wishful thinking crap about it being back to its pacy best. Never is though.

 

[trev106]

I hope its quick but like someone already we've been hearing that for years. If Test cricket dose die it will be because off these boring lifeless flat wickets that offer the bowlers nothing, the WACA isnt as fast anymore, the SCG dosent take spin like it used too, not even India's pitches seem to be turning as much as they did in the day. This is leading to batsmen having a run feast and pretty much killing off any contest between bat and ball leading to a boring match.

 

[Slax]

Not back to where it was 30 years ago, but better than has been over the last decade. The curator is slowly getting it back, but like many things it will take time and a couple more seasons to get it to where he wants it.

 

[Freo Big Fella]

It's never going to be back to it's 80's-90's era best - Cricket Australia has put the hard word on the WACA too many times after a string of two and three day tests.

It's certainly a lot better than it was five years ago though - shits all over the drop in atrocity at the MCG.

 

[nicko99]

Why isnt the WACA wicket as quick and bouncy as it was back in the day? They dont play any other sport on it during the year.

 

[Tyberious Funk]

Looks like it will start cracking after a few days so you would want a spinner.

Game probably won't last that long

 

[Slax]

Why isnt the WACA wicket as quick and bouncy as it was back in the day? They dont play any other sport on it during the year.

When the old curator from the 70s & 80s left he also took with him a lot of knowledge. The WACA didn't have records of where he was getting his clay from to top up the pitches & considering clay is harder to find than reject Australian spin bowlers the pitches slowly deteriorated. The new curator seems to of solved this problem but it's not an overnight fix.

 

[Belnakor]

I think it also dates back to when they replaced basically the entire pitch area when they redid the surface. I think at the time AFL was still being played there and there were concerns about the injury rate. You got some bloody fast games on the WACA even in the mid 90s.

Ever since then the pitch has been stuffed. It was still ok in the mid 90s.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

Skeptical view is skeptical, but don't they say every year that "the WACA bounce/pace is back"?

Still remember the days of the earthquake cracks down the middle of the WACA tarmac

I have no doubt that the WACA has much of it's pace back. And has had it for a few years. (I know they spent ages trying to source the original dirt that the block was based on)

The 20/20 between us and the kiwis a few years back was about as quick as I can remember at the WACA in the past 25 years.

Also - if you watch some of the shield games - it's green, seaming and super quick.

However in saying all of that - for some reason (perhaps under CA orders) the pitch that is prepared for the Test is never as quick or juicy. Whether they specifically leave one or two of the pitches a little dryer and less green so the game lasts the 5 days I don't know.

However something is different - because the pitch doesn't crumble like it did in the 80's anymore. Always used to be the 1st session on day 1 was dicy - then it got great for batting, then by day 4 cracks opened and the seamers had a field day.

 

[Partridge]

I hope its quick but like someone already we've been hearing that for years. If Test cricket dose die it will be because off these boring lifeless flat wickets that offer the bowlers nothing, the WACA isnt as fast anymore, the SCG dosent take spin like it used too, not even India's pitches seem to be turning as much as they did in the day. This is leading to batsmen having a run feast and pretty much killing off any contest between bat and ball leading to a boring match.

I always thought the SCG was one of the better allround wickets. It was only in the mid-80s to early-90s when it became purely a spinners' pitch, and that was mainly to curb the West Indies.

When they've got it right with the SCG it's great for everyone - for good fast bowlers, good batsmen, and good spinners. One of the great characteristics of Australian cricket used to be the diversity between grounds. It's getting gradually eroded as you mentioned and it isn't an improvement.

 

[Parquet Court]

the new new waca curator has sourced some black clay from down south of perth somewhere when they re-did the square a few years back.

the shield pitches have been great this year and extremely lively, there is no doubt that the c--ts at cricket australia are instructing the WACA to have a couple of decks that are flatter and less grassed.

and i think both teams should not be fooled by the grass covering, the WA side is just coming to terms with the greenish tinge on the pitch doesnt necessarily indicate it will seam sideways

 

[Yianni]

I hope its quick but like someone already we've been hearing that for years. If Test cricket dose die it will be because off these boring lifeless flat wickets that offer the bowlers nothing, the WACA isnt as fast anymore, the SCG dosent take spin like it used too, not even India's pitches seem to be turning as much as they did in the day. This is leading to batsmen having a run feast and pretty much killing off any contest between bat and ball leading to a boring match.

As someone who loves cricket but hasn't been following the particulars too closely, can someone explain why this is?

Why have pitches become more homogenous? Are they prepared that way? Or is it natural forces?

 

[Cleavy]

Why have pitches become more homogenous? Are they prepared that way? Or is it natural forces?

the financial need for matches to go the distance

 

[The Convert]

The good old Aussie selectors have gone for the local spinner who is not a local to take advantage of the pitch. Once they were told he was not a local and there is some grass on the pitch they change and go for 5 quicks and a part time spinner because we can take advantage of the first day pitch.

Oh st*t we are not bowling first, did not think of that. The pitch is irrelevant. In fact it is so irrelevant they and the commentators now call it the wicket. The wicket comprises 5 pieces of wood so no wonder we struggle to bat and bowl on it.

Fair dinkum they need to go back to basics and prepare pitches that have pace and bounce at the start, a couple of days of good batting then gradual deterioration. 5 days with the pitch varying throughout.

 

[Parquet Court]

its been bloody quick this morning