Pitch battles

It is never an ideal scenario when the post-test headline hogger is the pitch. That was the case following the slaughter of Sri Lanka at SuperSport Park and quite frankly it was not an ideal surface.

No-one advocates playing on 'roads' anymore as that does nothing to advance test cricket as a spectacle, but pitches should be more consistent than the one just played on.

An ideal track is one that provides challenges for batting initially but then settles down before gradually deteriorating and developing its own characteristics as the game unfolds. This, in turn, requires other skill sets so that come the final act, all members of the cast have been encouraged.

At SuperSport Park the pitch was under-prepared at the commencement of the test and the indentations that were littered all over the surface after day one impacted batting progression. The admirable intensity that the South African bowling attack displayed after a crucial coin toss forced the visitors into submission.

Already the spotlight is glaring at the centre strip in Durban. As I crash away at my keyboard the incessant drizzle of the last few days is returning. Precipitation has forced the square to be covered again, which has become an all too familiar sight. All that does is ensures surface moisture is maintained.

During an ideal pitch preparation lead-in, the crust dries out sufficiently to enable its characteristics to influence play over the upcoming five days. However, should the pitch enter the contest wet-weather influenced, a distinct advantage is presented to the team with the potency to extract from the willing surface.

We are now two days out from the Durban test and on the odd occasion when the pitch has been permitted to breathe cover free, a green tinged surface has been revealed.

The most important time in pitch preparation is a week before the event and during those crucial days a scorching hot sun blazed and baked this surface. That ideal early preparation window enabled the ground staff plenty of time to guarantee surface hardness. The more recent rain and scarcity of sun has retained surface freshness and promoted grass growth.

This second test pitch will sporting. It will have bounce and carry with a reasonable degree of pace throughout the first few days. The predicted weather pattern will prevent a radical change in conditions.

Kingsmead is not as quick as yesteryear but this time around the conditions, particularly the extra bounce, will be testing.

The Lankans will again have their work cut out to survive against an impressive and imposing attack that will benefit from an improved Morne Morkel performance. He will be able to bowl a more effective length due to the quicker nature of this deck.

It will be 'gloves off' again on Boxing Day.