Pitch ready for Hadlee

Press, 3 December 1987, Page 60

Pitch ready for Hadlee

PA Brisbane Richard Hadlee would have had a knowing glint in his eye had he heard the Brisbane groundsman, Kevin Mitchell’s, assessment yesterday of his pitch for tomorrow’s first cricket test between New Zealand and Australia.

Mr Mitchell, in his fifth season as curator of the Woolloongabba ground, has assumed an important role in the three-test series.

It is widely expected that Brisbane is the ‘only test venue that will produce a result pitch. Two seasons ago Hadlee took 15 for 123

on Mitchell’s strip to set New Zealand up for its historic first

test win by an innings and 41 runs.

Mr Mitchell believes tomorrow’s pitch will be

fairly similar to that of October 1985.

“I can’t see any variation really,” he said yesterday.

His preparation has been hindered by heavy rain on Monday evening and most of Sunday. That rain kept the New Zealanders off the oval at their practice yesterday, but Mr Mitchell remains confident the pitch will be a good wicket

“There should be plenty of bounce and pace in it There will be a fair bit of grass, but it will be an even cover and I don’t think the ball will abnormally seam around,” Mr Mitchell said. “I reckon the batsmen should be able to handle it”

Mr Mitchell bristled at a question of whether he had received riding instructions from either the

Australian Cricket Board or the Australian captain, Allan Border, on what sort of pitch to prepare. He left the impression they would be unwise to tell him how to do his job. “I don’t get instructions from anybody, and I’m not interested in anybody’s preference. If the wicket is good enough then two teams get the same chance,” Mr Mitchell said. The New Zealand team was disappointed to be stuck on the artificial practice pitches beside the main oval yesterday, but adopted a philosophical approach.

“I’m not happy with them, but it’s the best they coiild provide,” said the New Zealand coach, Gren Alabaster.

Meanwhile, over-the-top media interest has centred on whether

Hadlee is or is not injured. Hadlee left the field for about 15 minutes on the final afternoon of New Zealand’s three-wicket loss to South Australia at Adelaide.

His complaint was diagnosed as a strained lateral ligament in his left ankle. Yesterday he received treatment from the team physiotherapist, Graham Hayhow, but only bowled a handful of balls off about six paces. The captain, Jeff Crowe, said after practice he was not even aware Hadlee had an injury.

Mr Hayhow said Hadlee received a general rubdown, including his ankle and quadriceps, but added it was all precautionary rather than in response to a specific problem.