Australia Wants Batter-Friendly Pitches

Cricket Australia wants better pitches as Australian batters struggle in tough home conditions.

What is happening?

Aus’s est matches have recently been finished in two days, which has sparked off an argument about Australian pitches. Cricket Australia has now decided to take action.

The message to the domestic groundskeepers is clear: “in doubt, bat-friendly”. Australia’s batting woes in recent Test matches had prompted by the fact that many pitches tend to be bowler-friendly

What has caused Australia’s batting problem?

There are multiple factors that can be responsible for Australia’s poor batting performance.

Cricket Australia believes that their state sides are creating too many “winning conditions” for bowlers when they prepare pitches at their grounds for first-class matches. A key reason for this is the World Test Championship, which has made wins more valuable than ever before.

Meanwhile, the rise of fast white-ball cricket has meant young players are accustomed to a brand of aggressive innings that is completely unlike traditional Test batting

Steve Smith is perhaps the best example of this trend, with his home Test average dropping sharply from 77.25 before the 2019 Ashes to 45.53 since the new Kookaburra.

However, there is another factor which might have contributed to Smith’s drop in form – changes to the Kookaburra ball itself. In 2019, manufacturers added additional layers of lacquer and tighter seams to the ball in an effort to prolong the life of each Test match ball.

Some important points:

• Several recent Australian Tests have been shortened by rain.
• Shield batting averages have dropped.
• Last year the best average of the top ten run scorers was only 36.41

A New Pitch Message

This is where Cricket Australia wants to make a change.

Peter Roach, chief operations and scheduling officer of Cricket Australia, says that the old message to curators was to maintain a balance of bat and ball, but in the case of a perceived bias, to give preference to the bowler.

This message is now being reversed.

In the case of a perceived bias, the new message is to give preference to the batters.

However, this does not mean that Australia is set to generate pitches that make it simple for batters to score hundreds every time they play.

The curators can make subtle tweaks to the pitches so that it is slightly easier for the batters to score than the bowlers to bowl maidens.

They could leave a little less grass on the pitch or take a little more off or roll it more.

However, it is a fine line to walk and one that, if crossed, would lead to an imbalance in the game.

Cricket Australia is seeking to ensure that there are no draws in Tests, but that the game is still exciting with wickets to speak of.

In other words, it is not about making pitches that are good for bowlers but bad for batters.

Why It Matters

In short, Test cricket is a game where both departments have to be in play for the game to be competitive.

The bowlers have to be able to take wickets for the sides to have a chance to win, but the batters have to have enough scoring opportunities to display their skills.

The fear is that if junior players get used to facing very difficult conditions on a regular basis, they will not have the mental toughness to score big scores in Test cricket.

If that is the case then making the domestic conditions slightly more hospitable to batters could be a good thing.

A Little Change To The Schedule For Sheffield Shield

Cricket Australia has also made a little change to the Sheffield Shield fixture.

It has decided to make the middle session of each day’s play 15 minutes longer but the last session will be shortened.

Why?

The extra time in the middle session could allow for more spin friendly conditions to develop on certain pitches and it would also provide a little extra opportunity for batters.

It might not seem like much, but when you are talking about first class matches, it is all about small margins.

That’s why the small changes to the Sheffield Shield schedule and pitch preparation will have an impact on how the game will be played in Australia.

The Challenge Ahead For Cricket Australia

Cricket Australia is in a very interesting position.

On the one hand, it wants to ensure that the men’s Test team has exciting young batters who can get big scores in tough conditions.

However, it also has to ensure that those batters have the opportunity to get those big scores when they get the chance to play in the Sheffield Shield.

The Cricket Australia pitch philosophy will no doubt help the cause, but it cannot fix everything.

With that in mind, the real test for the changes made by Cricket Australia will come with the start of the next Sheffield Shield season.