Spin plays small part at world's quickest wicket

Fast bowlers swoop into the wicket from the northern boundary of the Woolloongabba in Brisbane, where Australia and South Africa begin their battle for the No1 test ranking on Friday, on the wings of history and drama.

The drama takes care of itself. Where else in cricket are bowlers able to take flight from so evocatively named a spot as the Vulture Street End?

The Gabba's history is more prosaic. Only 12 of the 54 tests played there have been drawn. Of the remaining 41, Australia have won 33. Their last loss there was against West Indies in 1988, when the men in maroon caps counted greats like Viv Richards and Malcolm Marshall among them.

Since then, visiting teams have come, seen and not conquered at the Gabba 23 times. The usually superior quality of Australia's fast bowlers is one reason why, and the greater familiarity of their batsman with the conditions another. Both of those reasons are tied to still another: Brisbane's intense humidity, which adds swing and spice to the fast bowlers' efforts.

Only once in six completed innings in Sheffield Shield matches in Brisbane has a team totalled more than 300 runs. In three of those innings, they have been dismissed for less than 200.

Which has fuelled a surprisingly serious debate about dispensing with spin bowlers in the first test.

AB de Villiers wasn't sold on that idea, even though he expressed his opinion in the anti-spin speak South Africans are known for.

"I like a spinner in the team," he said. "It changes the whole pace of the game. It's always something to fall back on when things are not going your way."

For assistant coach Russell Domingo, "the days of SA not having a spinner in the side are probably over".

But Domingo knows what the South Africans are seeing in their tour match against Australia A at the Sydney Cricket Ground is not what they will get at the Gabba.

"Historically, Sydney is a spinning wicket," he said. "The Gabba is known to be quicker and bouncier, and I've just read that some people rate it as the quickest wicket in the world at the moment.

"So it will be different, but we've practised on some really good wickets in the nets this week that have offered us good pace and bounce. The nets are probably more like we will experience at the Gabba."

Dale Steyn wasn't putting much store in all of that: "I can't prepare for something that's going to be green, and then I get there and it's flat. You always prepare for the worst; the flat wickets."

Besides, SA don't need to depend on the conditions. They have not played a test in Brisbane since 1963, but they last lost a test match away from home in Kolkata in 2010.

Since then they have won five and drawn four, and they last lost an away-rubber in 2006 in Sri Lanka - 10 series ago.

There's plenty of history and drama locked up in those numbers, and another chapter will begin to be written on Friday.