Last summer Ricky Ponting was duped, this year the Australian skipper was left just plain disappointed by yet another lifeless WACA Ground wicket.
After South Africa posted 4-414 in the first Test to record the second highest successful fourth-innings run chase in Test history, Ponting questioned why WACA curator Cameron Sutherland prepared such lively decks for state games while recent Tests in Perth were left with dull and lifeless wickets.
In the past four years, Australia have posted one win, one draw and two losses in Perth.
Ponting stopped just short of suggesting the WACA was purposely preparing batter-friendly pitches that would increase the chance of the game going all five days — thus maximising TV and gate revenues.
But the captain wanted answers as to why the WACA had lost its pace and bounce — two attributes the ground had built its reputation on.
“I’m disappointed in the result and I’m disappointed because the uniqueness of the WACA that it once had, that we keep hearing about every year, it appears it’s always there for the state games but it’s just not there for Test matches, which I think is disappointing,” Ponting said.
“The beauty with playing cricket in Australia is that you get a vast array of conditions all around Australia and I’ve just got a bit of a feeling at the moment that this place has just lost whatever it had as far as its uniqueness.
“This Test match here has basically been played on a wicket like Adelaide.
“It’s not a WACA wicket whatsoever.
“I don’t know if you guys have ever seen a wicket here on a fifth day that plays as well as that one did or if you guys have ever seen one that’s been that slow and placid right from the start of the game.
“Brisbane and Perth are the places that offer a bit of uniqueness in Australia.
“I think Brisbane still has that and I think the WACA is losing that very quickly.”
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
Elcapitan, of course therre was all the free advice and intrigue and trying to get on to the uncovered wickets, if you were bowling!!! Ah, the good old days. Hurler, I agree he is not up to it!!
Harry
Guest
I missed a fair bit of the 5th day but saw all of day 4 and I knew we were in trouble, thought we were badly directionless and poorly led in the 1st wicket stand, and the end result did not surprise.
Spiro Zavos
Expert
If Ricky Ponting had been given a true WACA pitch the South Africans might have won by more. Dale Steyn would have been far more lethal than he was on the variable pitch the Test was played on. Also, if the pitch was so placid why did he, Matthew Hayden and Michael Hussey fail in both innings? In truth, it was not an easy pitch to bat on with variable bounce. Not one Australian batsman shouyld a centyury, altthough Brad Haddin got very close. Two South Africans scored centuries on the last day when puffs of dust were coming from the pitch. Australia did not have the bowlers to exploit the fifth-day pitch. Or the captaincy nous, in my view. There was no ewnough pressure put on batsmen through clever field placings and in the end the South Africans, like the Indians against England, were able to single their way easily to a victory which should have been much harder to achieve..
Harry
Guest
After two decades the Australian cricket captain no longer has a get out of jail card - throw the ball to Warne or McGrath. Even if they didn't take wickets, they generally dried the runs up. For a couple of series we got by with Stuart Clarke doing a great impersonation of Glen, Brett lee still fast and the top 6 batting in great form. But nw the wheels are off and our very very ordinary bowling attack - Mitchell Johnson apart - is left with nowhere to go. The batting loses heart knowing that however many runs they get, our bowlers can't bowl the oppo out twice. Apart from the terrible Kiwi's, you have to go back to Sydney to find a game when we took 20 wickets, and look at all the whinging that went on there! Oh and stop whinging Ricky. We were humiliated. Congrats to SA.
elcapitan
Roar Rookie
Got to agree with you Spinner. Your taught at a young age to know how a pitch will play out (if you play on turf that is), and use the conditions to your advantage. I think it was more challenging back in the days where the pitches were not covered, and dew, rain and co could change the conditions of a pitch from the evenings play to opening days play. You can't blame the pitch Ponting, you need to look at yourself and your players and ask, why couldn't we get 20 wickets and defend a total thats almost a world record? South Africa managed to get 20 wickets and bat on its surface.
Hurler in the Ditch
Guest
A tool blames the groundsman. Ponting must go. He is too obtuse to realise this himself. Therefore the selectors should give him the hint by not naming for the Boxing Day test.
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
A bad workman blames his tools. I remember, as part of my cricketing apprenticeship, reviewing a wicket with more experienced team mates. I listened to their assessment and predictions of what the wicket would do. Invariably, they were correct. And didnt have the benefit of being able to review wickets that were prepared meticulously to a formula. They had to read what was in front of them. The so called experts got this wrong. The Channel 9 boys were all talking about 350-400. In retrospect, they were probably 150 short of the mark, before allowing for some very determined and skillful batting by Smith, de Villiers and co. They got a start and made it into a ton!!