Cricket: Pitch repairs shock Proteas

By RICHARD BOOCK

New Zealand's reputation for manipulating home ground conditions was again in the spotlight yesterday after part of the test pitch was illegally repaired overnight, and new sightscreens hoisted at the behest of the home batsmen.

Already with image problems after preparing two-day surfaces for last summer's visit from India, New Zealand's administrators were last night attempting to distance themselves from the pitch issue, but evidently saw nothing wrong with the new sightscreens.

The drama began to unfold on Thursday evening when South African team officials allegedly overheard a suspicious conversation while inspecting the pitch.

Concerned that the rapidly deteriorating wicket was to be enhanced for New Zealand's first innings, the tourists took digital photographs of the surface and yesterday morning discovered that part of the pitch had been repaired.

Match referee Clive Lloyd was advised and he instructed ground staff to return the affected section of the pitch to the state it was at the close of play, and the test eventually proceeded on time.

South African coach Eric Simons confirmed that his team had been anxious about the ground staff's intentions before they departed Westpac Park on Thursday night.

"A group of us went to look at the wicket, and as we turned to leave we overheard a conversation that made us nervous, so we took some photographs," Simons said.

"When we arrived back in the morning we found that part of the pitch had been repaired, which was disappointing. I'm not quite sure what happened and why it happened, but it did."

Simons said it was particularly surprising for his side as he believed the issue had been discussed between the groundsman and the match referee after the first day's play, during which it was emphasised that the pitch should not be touched.

The decision to erect new and freshly-painted sightscreens after complaints from their batsmen only fuelled accusations of parochialism.

Asked how it felt as a touring team to turn up on the third morning to find that new sightscreens for the opposition batsmen and part of the pitch repaired, Simons said: "It was rather strange. I suppose it's allowed, but whether it's in the spirit of the game I'm not sure."

He said he could not believe the groundsman would not know the pitch could not be repaired, but preferred not to identify who had been overheard.

"Who exactly said what to whom, it's difficult to say.

"There were a few people around. But we just heard something. Something that made us prick our ears."

Lloyd last night claimed a misunderstanding and miscommunication led the groundsman to believe that he had been instructed to secure several loose pieces of turf.

He said neither NZC nor the New Zealand team had been involved in any way in the decision to make the illegal repairs.

The pitch remained the topic of conversation throughout the day as New Zealand scrambled through to 361-7, after copping four leg-before decisions, one clean bowled, and a delivery later on that literally went along the ground.

The main contributor was Scott Styris with 74.

SCOREBOARD

South Africa

First innings 459

New Zealand

First innings (102-2 overnight)

M Richardson lbw b Pollock 4

M Papps lbw b Kallis 59

S Fleming lbw b Adams 27

S Styris b Pollock 74

C McMillan lbw b Kallis 19

C Cairns c Boucher b Ntini 28

J Oram not out 49

B McCullum c Boucher b Kallis 57

D Vettori not out 21

Extras (8b, 7lb, 8nb) 23

Total (for 7 wkts, 128 overs) 361

Fall: 20 (Richardson), 75 (Fleming), 127 (Papps), 172 (McMillan), 223 (Styris), 225 (Cairns), 309 (McCullum).

Bowling: S Pollock 25-4-75-2 (6nb), M Ntini 23-7-54-1, J Kallis 22-6-61-3, A Nel 24-8-64-0 (2nb), P Adams 32-7-84-1, J Rudolph 2-0-8-0.

- NZPA