Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) curator Adam Lewis expressed satisfaction with the pitch colour ahead of the fifth Ashes Test beginning on January 4. This follows criticism after the fourth Ashes game concluded in just two days.
The SCG pitch has faced intense scrutiny after the International Cricket Council (ICC) rated the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) as unsatisfactory, following England’s four-wicket victory within two days.
“I don’t scroll, I don’t have social media, so I try and keep all that negative energy away from me. We just put our own pressure on ourselves. We’re trying to produce the best pitch we can with the climate that we’re given.
“We’re happy with the colour of the pitch at the moment, we don’t want it to not have any green in it three
days out from the Test. We’ll be able to take that colour out of it over the next couple of days. Hopefully, we see a little bit of sun, which will help draw the moisture out.
“Look, we’re hoping for a nice green tinge on Day 1 so the ball can get some good carry, but a nice and even surface. We’re looking like we’ve got good weather for the five days, and my gut feeling is that we will see some good batting,” Lewis was quoted as saying on SEN Radio.
Over In 2 Days…
Reflecting on the MCG pitch, Lewis felt curator Matt Page did his best despite the conditions before the Boxing Day Test. He emphasised his focus on creating conditions where players’ skills determine the outcome.
“I spoke to Pagey a few times last week. The guys are doing the absolute best they can. Pagey is probably one of the best curators in Australia, if not the world. It’s not as if we go out to produce a wicket that it’s over in a few days. It’s just a shame. All we can do now is just produce something as even as possible, so it can be decided by the players,” he added.
(With inputs from Agencies)
