It’s not the pitch, it’s the cricketer who plays on it

BRYAN DAVIS

BRIAN Lara scored his record 375 runs in a single innings against England on the Antigua Recreation Ground in St. John’s, Antigua, in April 1994. West Indies (WI) made 593 for five wickets declared. It was the fifth Test of a five-match series and WI were already leading three to one. In their turn at the crease, England were bowled out for 593, equalling the WI total.

In the euphoria created by the Lara innings, the pitch escaped criticism.

In the fifth Test of the English summer in 1976 played at the Oval in London, Michael Holding, 23, collected 14 wickets that helped WI win the Test. The pitch was referred to as a “dead wicket” by Tony Cozier and the English press.

The Jamaican picked up eight in the first innings and six in the second. Afterwards, when asked how he accomplished this phenomenal feat, the youngster explained that because he had no assistance from the pitch, he decided to concentrate every delivery on the line of the stumps and on a good length.

Curtly Ambrose captured six wickets for 24 runs on an easy-paced wicket at the Queen’s Park Oval in the third Test in 1994, bowling out England for 46 runs.

Courtney Walsh at Wellington, New Zealand claimed 7 for 37 and 6 for 18 after WI scored 660 for five declared to win the second Test in 1995 on a perfect batting strip.

The cricket pitch is the essence of the cricket match. Preparing pitches for Test cricket, the highest level of the game, is an art, not a science. If ever scientists got together to make the perfect pitch, that would be the death of cricket. The intrigue that is fostered by the strategies employed between bowler and batsman would be entirely lost if all pitches were the same.

Recently, the WI defeated Bangladesh on pitches that favoured spin bowling. And that’s the test of the cricketer: his adjustment to various pitches. WI survived that disadvantage and defeated the home team, contrary to popular opinion.

WI, in the recent second Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua, found great difficulty in prying out Sri Lanka (SL) in the second innings, and the pitches were blamed.

Therefore, this means that WI bowlers can only bowl on pitches that are assisting them; fast, medium and slow bowlers, I assume? And because their bowlers cannot maintain a proper line and length consistently enough to perform adequately at this level, the answer from the coach is that the pitches are no good and unsuitable for cricket.

Thus, it begs the question, why then didn’t WI batsmen take advantage of these pitches to gorge themselves and score countless runs? Examine the evidence. WI are sent in to bat on a pitch with some moisture and score 354 runs, accumulated through a century from the skipper, Kraigg Brathwaite, and 73 from Rahkeem Cornwall. Then SL are dismissed for 258, with the faster bowlers sharing the spoils.

In WI’s second innings three batsmen, the skipper Brathwaite, Kyle Mayers and Jason Holder scored fifties and the skipper declared at 280 for four wickets.

This decision spurred confidence in his bowlers to make use of the pitch to bowl out the Lankans under 377 to win. Right?

However, SL’s batsmen closed the match off at 193 for two. It makes one wonder what would have happened if time wasn’t lost for bad weather. Nonetheless, the pitch was blamed.

In cricket, at the highest level, much is demanded and no excuses should be tolerated. WI’s bowling was not up to the standard required. No bowler completed an over where a batsman had to take risks to score. There were balls bowled wide of the stumps that posed no danger to the batsman losing his wicket; there were half-volleys galore so that a batsman didn’t have to be anxious about the good ball, just keep “the wolf from the door” and wait for the inevitable bad delivery from which to score.

With top-class bowling, batsmen have to seek scoring opportunities. However, when mediocre stuff is served up, they could easily await the loose delivery and add comfortably to their score.

The present West Indian cricketers have come a long way, yet they still have a lot to learn. Don’t mollycoddle them. Don’t make excuses for them. Selectors, coaches, it’s up to you.

It’s not the pitch, it’s the cricketer who plays on it.

Stop blaming the pitches.