SA pitches tipped as best to bat on

The team totals in the just-ended Momentum one-day round-robin phase have been eye-popping. So has it been a case of terrible bowling or overly friendly batting surfaces? ESPNcricinfo did a study that said South African pitches were the best to bat on in limited-overs matches. Khanyiso Tshwaku reports

If ever there were a misleading round of cricket, it was in the final round-robin matches of the Momentum One-Day Cup.

Scores of 154 (Highveld Lions v Warriors in Port Elizabeth), 185 (Cape Cobras v Titans in Pretoria) and 204 (Knights v Dolphins in Durban) masked the run-scoring elsewhere.

It makes sense that the Lions and the Cobras did not make the play-offs. Their batting experienced a famine in a time of plenty. Of the 13 300-plus scores in February and March, they contributed only three.

The top two sides who earned the rights to host play-off matches, the Knights and the Titans, put together eight.

The Titans also made two 400-plus totals, against the Lions (415) at the Wanderers and 400 against the Cobras in Cape Town.

Those totals explain why the Titans will host the final on Friday while today in Bloemfontein the Knights and the Warriors fight for the right to join them.

The Titans started this run fest on February 17, only to watch the Dolphins gun down their 324 with ease in that match.

Titans coach Mark Boucher found it difficult to have sympathy for bowlers in a time of flat pitches and brave batsmen, who have long shed any fears of heights.

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"The guys aren't fearful of going over the top, and the rule changes have benefited them. It's very difficult to keep teams at under five runs an over. The wickets have also not favoured the bowlers, except for Durban. The low totals there made for interesting cricket. Whether it's a good thing to have high-scoring games I don't quite know, but it made for some varied cricket," Boucher said.

"The bowling was OK, but what you found was the teams decided to bank on one of their disciplines to pull them through. The Knights have some nice bowlers up front while the Dolphins were reliant on the sum of their parts to get them through the season. We had the bases covered, but there were teams who were let down by their bowlers, while some got into the play-offs because of their superior bowling."

The three qualifiers rode on standout performances by Henry Davids (Titans, 553 runs at 79), Jon-Jon Smuts (Warriors, 543 at 67) and Rudi Second (Knights, 385 at 38).

What stood out with Davids and Smuts were their gargantuan hundreds in Cape Town — 163 for Davids and 173 not out for Smuts.

Aiden Markram of the Titans bettered that lot with the local List A record of 183 against the Lions at the Wanderers.

Of the qualifiers, Warriors coach Malibongwe Maketa's side chased leather with three 300 totals conceded. However, their ability to defend 240-290 propelled them to third spot while also owning the lowest successful defence: 185, against the Knights in Kimberley on February 25.

With Espncricinfo.com having recently done a study of the batting-friendly South African pitches in a season when South Africa made a mockery of the second-highest successful chase against Australia in Durban in October, Maketa was left wondering whether bowlers still had a place in the game. He also admitted the climate hamstrung the groundsmen.

"I had to be patient with our bowlers because it was difficult to get wickets up front. Batsmen have had time to get their eyes in before teeing off and tearing attacks apart. It's been good when they've made it count when the conditions allowed them and they've competed.

Then again, people don't have time to watch 210 all out, but kids are not going to want to be bowlers if they are going to be hit around the park and concede 70 every week. Who will want to bowl when you're going to be cannon-fodder? Are we going to develop any bowlers? I guess not," Maketa said.

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"At this time of the year, the wickets have been very flat and the drought has not made things easy at all. There was literally no green grass on the wickets and that made things hard for the bowlers. They just couldn't cope.

At the end of the day, limited-overs bowling has a lot to catch up on. It hasn't kept up with the advancements in batting and flat wickets have played a big role in that. The dice is heavily loaded against the bowlers and it's been difficult for them to respond."

As a former Proteas test and ODI spinner, Knights coach Nicky Boje understands why bowlers are being flame-grilled. He said the surfaces played a role in the run-scoring but felt bowlers also need to improve their skills.

Knights bowlers Shadley van Schalkwyk (15 wickets at 27), Dillon du Preez (12 at 23), Marchant de Lange (12 at 25) and Mbulelo Budaza (11 at 23) were able to keep a lid on opponents. The Knights were the only team to do the double against the Titans and conceded 300 only once, when the Lions (307) threatened to overhaul their 311/6.

"I played in a time when 200 was a winning total, but it all depends on the surfaces you play on. The pitches we've played on this year have been very good. The bowling attacks also haven't been the same but I think bowling units could execute certain skills better, but when the pitches are good, then it becomes difficult for them," Boje said.

"T20 has played a role with the newly found inventiveness of batsmen but we know it's a batter's game. The bowlers, though, have a job to do and they need to execute under pressure and perform regardless of the pitches."