NEW WICKET SOIL
QUEENSLAND DISCOVERY.
Queensland has found a cricket pitch soil which may become world famous if everything said of it is true. No more will critical visitors be able to refer to Brisbane wickets at mudheaps. Neither will it matter if the Board of Control does send English or other teams to Brisbane in February, usually the wettest month in the Northern State (states a Melbourne writer). This soil is in the Nundah district, and was discovered by Mr. A. E. Oxenham, father of Lionel and Ron, who have played for Queensland, and also “father” of the Nundah club, which became the present Toombul club, Q.C.A. premiers on many occasions. Mr. Oxenham lives at Nundah, and has had a very high opinion of the soil for a long time, though Q.C.A. officials were slow to act on. the opinion of so good a judge. Until recently, Mr. Oxenham had to be content with its use on the Nundah wicket, which is one of the best in Queensland, and the quickest to recover after rain. For several months tests of it have been made by Mr. J. Farquhar, a former captain and wicketkeeper for Queensland, and for a couple of seasons curator at the Brisbane cricket ground, the new headquarters of cricket in Queensland. These have made him very enthusiastic.
He says that no amount of rain will affect it sufficiently to give any bowler appreciable assistance from it. Its power of resisting water is wonderful. The only time rain will penetrate it is when the roots of the grass break the surface. Even then, it will go only to a slight depth. Mr. Farquhar anticipates wonderful wickets for batsmen, and also for bowlers, as they will have more life than any other in Australia. More than that. He thinks their lasting powers will be such that they will stand up to heavy scoring for a fortnight. He intends to use it on the pitch for the fourth Test next February. “This remarkable soil will revolutionise wet wickets in Queensland,” predicted Mr. Farquhar.
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Bibliographic details
Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 205, 13 August 1932, Page 2 (Supplement)
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344NEW WICKET SOIL Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 205, 13 August 1932, Page 2 (Supplement)
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