CRICKET.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7372, 25 January 1902, Page 2

CRICKET.

A TEST MATCH WICKET.

The state of a test match wicket on each successive day is naturally tho subject of much anticipatory discussion. It may be interesting to followers of the game to describe how the wicket was prepared at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the second test match. Details of the work involved were given to a representative of the Argus by the curator, who explained that the work of top-dressing the ground began about the end of July, as soon as the football season was over. First of all, the heel-uiarks of the footballers were squared up, and the surface made as level as possible with a light harrow before the soil was put on. A black volcanic soil is used for topdressing, and 120 to 200 loads are put down, the quantity varying according to the season. The grass used is English ryegrass. After the top-dressing is dene, and the seed is showing through, a light leveller is run over the turf to crush the big lumps, and when the grass is strong enough to stand rolling another roller is run over it. This is usually about the middle of September, and then soon after, when it is ready, the mowing machine is used, and about the first week in October the first wicket is ready for use. As soon as play commences, the centre square and the practice wickets get most attention, although the whole ground is cut with the machine as often as required. The wicket for a test match is selected by the curator about three weeks before tbe game, and watered and rolled daily until the day of the match, provided tbe weather is suitable. Before the game commences the wicket is cut with the scythe until, as the curator expressed it, " You couldn't have got a match- bos full of grass off it." After another good rolling, the creases are marked out, and " there she is."