What does the Wanderers have in store for SA and Pakistan after last year's pitch fiasco?

09 January 2019 - 10:02 By Khanyiso Tshwaku
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The pitch at the Bidvest Wanderers misbehaved a great deal during day 4 of the 3rd Sunfoil Test match between South Africa and India on January 27, 2018 in Johannesburg.
The pitch at the Bidvest Wanderers misbehaved a great deal during day 4 of the 3rd Sunfoil Test match between South Africa and India on January 27, 2018 in Johannesburg.
Image: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images

With pitches again taking centre stage in the South African summer‚ Gauteng Cricket Board chief executive Greg Fredericks gave assurances that the Wanderers surface would be without demons for Friday's third Test against Pakistan.

SA's premier cricket ground came under intense scrutiny because of its pitch during the third Test against India early last year.

The pitch had offered lavish seam movement through all four days and more importantly‚ inflicted serious physical damage on the batsmen because of inconsistent and excessively steep bounce.

The Test between the Proteas and India ended in four days but on the third evening‚ play was curtailed 19 minutes early because of the dangers posed by the strip.

The pitch was given a poor rating and earned three demerit points from the International Cricket Council.

The ground avoided an immediate ban but the three demerit points will linger over the stadium for the next four years.

Should the ground accrue another two demerit points in the 48 months‚ it'll be banned from hosting international cricket for a year.

However‚ the surfaces prepared for subsequent T20's and ODI's against India and the fourth Test against Australia at the end of March/early April behaved in a normal manner.

“It'll be a normal pitch but people tend to forget that after the India Test where we gave the guys the pitch they asked for‚ the pitch that was prepared for the Australia Test had no issues.

"But people can expect a normal pitch for Friday's Test‚” Fredericks said.

“We've taken note of what Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur has said but we've got no worries and no sleepless nights.

"We'll be having a pitch that'll be lasting for five days. It's going to be a wicket that's going to be fair to batsmen and bowlers.”

The pitches used at SuperSport Park and Newlands for the first two matches have been criticised by Arthur.

They offered a fair amount of movement‚ challenging both sets of batsmen. But it's been the bounce that has been disconcerting.

While the SuperSport Park pitch was graded average by the ICC‚ the highest team score was SA's first innings total of 223 while Shan Masood's 65 was the highest individual score.

The Newlands surface gave the Pakistan batsmen grief on day one where they were rolled for 177 just before tea‚ but the Proteas also had their struggles where the ball often misbehaved on a good length.

However‚ SA's first innings total of 431 contained a Faf du Plessis ton and 50's from Aiden Markram‚ Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock.

Fredericks‚ though‚ has the comfort of knowing the Wanderers pitch square has been on the good side this season.

The Highveld Lions' three home Four-day Franchise Series game at the ground have all produced results while bat and ball were equally rewarded.

In the Mzansi Super League‚ 170 was crossed in four of the six possible games there‚ including the tournament's highest team total.

“After last year‚ we decided that our guys will prepare the kind of pitches they want to prepare.

"We've had no instruction from anybody.

"However‚ we often say that if you produce 100 good pitches and one bad pitch‚ people are going to remember the bad pitch‚” Fredericks said.

“Our guys though are experienced and nobody knows the grounds better than them.”

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