'Genius' groundsman preparing perfect pitch

Design an ideal test cricket pitch and the rule of thumb goes like this: A bit in it for the seamers in the first half of the opening day; then plenty of runs until late on the fourth day when it starts to help the spinners.

If Damian Hough, known round these parts as ''genius", has his sums right, the Adelaide Oval pitch for cricket's first day-night test, should do the trick.

Hough, curator at the oval for the last three years, is proud of his drop-in pitch, proud of how the ground has been repaired after an AC/DC concert on Saturday night and confident the players will be happy when the test starts on Friday.

''There's a bit more grass on it than you normally have in Adelaide, but I'm still pretty happy with how it's all gone," Hough said.

He's had to oversee the laying of 800sq m of turf to tidy up the northern end where the concert stage was positioned. No problem.

He's taken the soundings from players and match officials after a pink ball Sheffield Shield game involving New South Wales - aka mini Australia - and South Australia recently, played on the strip next to the test pitch. All good.

Hough won't speculate on how the pitch will play out - ''I'll talk to you on Tuesday" - but ''(the Shield game) had a good balance between bat and ball. We try and replicate that every game we have. Leaving a bit of grass on it we're hoping it will assist the quicks and the ball will come onto the bat nicely."

When plans were announced for a $A685 million redevelopment at Australia's loveliest major cricket ground, there was consternation in conservative corners.

But the ground has come up a treat, with the best lighting among Australia's grounds, the grass bank retained at the northern end, and the stands named for notables in cricket and Australian Rules, just different enough for a touch of variety.

The distinctive shape of old - long straight hits and short boundaries square of the wicket have also gone.

It is perhaps the most popularly attended test on the Australian calendar, when the country comes to town and the amber fluid flows out the back of the stands.

Add in hundreds of extra fans making the trip across the Tasman, the pink ball and novelty of the occasion, and it promises to be a truly special test.