NOT ALL ON TURF

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 91, 5 July 1930, Page 5

NOT ALL ON TURF

CRICKET MATCHES IN ENGLAND. “DOCTORING” WICKETS. Many Australians believe, incorrectly, that all cricket matches in England are played on turf, but that is not so (says the famous old international, Jack Worrall, in The Australasian). The principal reason why the ground at Liverpool is so difficult for batsmen, especially after rain, is that it is a true turf wicket, allowing the spin on the ball to bite. Many of the grounds in the Old Country are doctored by a solution of marl and manure, with the result that even rain will not make them sticky. As far back at 1899, in the last test match of the series at the Oval, the wicket was smeared over with a concoction of cow manure and marl, giving the surface a glazed appearance, on which it was impossible for thd> ball to bite until the last day of the match, when Lockkood’s spikes suited Rhodes at the other end. It was understood at the time that the practice was to be discontinued,' but now it has become general. That is the real reason why stumps are made higher and broader, and that snicks are counted as l.b.w. in county matches. The bowlers have never had a fair deal, and it would appear that the game itself will always be subsidiary to the financial side.