Do you want to win tickets to the Proteas vs England test match?
ILLOVO – Wanderers groundsman hopes his pitch will produce a good contest between bat and ball.
Do you want to win tickets to the four day Test match between South Africa and England at the Imperial Wanderers stadium?
The Proteas will look to win the fourth and final Test match against England in a bid to save the series after England took a 2–1 lead after a dismal batting performance by the South Africans at St George’s Park, Port Elizabeth. England won the third Test by an innings and 53 runs, leading to some more public criticism of the state of South African cricket. But coach Mark Boucher accepted blame for the position the team finds itself in and aims to return the team to winning ways.
This match could also be the last home Test for captain Faf du Plessis who said he could retire from Test cricket after a tour to West Indies later this year.
Simply answer the question on the Rosebank Killarney Gazette Facebook page.
T’s and C’s apply:
- Should you win, you will be contacted via Facebook messenger and asked to provide your contact details.
- Tickets are to be collected on the day from Gate 3.
- Tag @RK_Gazette on all your social media posts on the day with #ProteaFire
- The competition closes on 22 January at 3pm.
The Imperial Wanderers pitch will have something for bat and ball come to its first international cricket match of the year on 24 January.
The Wanderers, also known by locals as The Bullring, will first host the fourth and final Test match in the series against England, before it accommodates the third one-day international versus England on 9 February and the first T20 international against England on 21 February.
Cricket South Africa’s groundsman of the year for three years running, Evan Flint has put much work into the pitch which is historically known for its bounce, speed and assistance of high scoring.
The pitch was host to the famous ‘438 game’ in 2006 and accommodates the annual Pink ODI, another often high-scoring affair.
“I want to get the best contest between bat and ball,” said Flint, a Parkwood resident, who added that fans could expect pace and bounce.
“It’s about getting the moisture content at the start of the game right and also your grass density, getting that right. If you somehow stumble across a formula and you manage to get those things correct then nine times out of 10 you get a good pitch. But then again it is up to the players. Sometimes you can get a good pitch and no one performs or sometimes someone plays an absolute belter of an innings and it makes you look good [as a groundsman].”
Because of this, Flint believes that batsmen who put the conditions of the Wanderers pitch at the back of their minds will be the ones who score the most runs.
“Obviously you are going to have quality bowlers on show, but especially when you get to this [international] level, a lot of it is a mental aspect. They have obviously all got the talent, it is just who applies himself.”
He said maintaining consistency in a pitch over five days of cricket was not easy and we should expect to see cracks in the pitch on the fourth and fifth days of the Test.
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