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PERTH - A slow, patchy Perth pitch should turn the third Ashes cricket test into another run-fest which will have pacemen sighing, purists moaning, but spinners' fingers tingling.
After two batting-friendly pitches in Brisbane and Adelaide, Australia and England expect more of the same from the Waca Ground
today, despite its reputation as one of the bounciest, fastest surfaces in the world.
Tradition counted for little yesterday when Australian captain Ricky Ponting inspected the pitch and found it motley and patchy in appearance, with good grass coverage and a bit of moisture underneath the surface.
Ponting was told by curator Cameron Sutherland there would be good bounce in the first session today but with hot weather forecast over the next week the pitch is expected to dry through the match and play slower.
That should mean bat again dominates the ball, as it did in Brisbane (1331 runs at an average 44 runs a wicket) and Adelaide Oval (1361 at 45).
Left-arm spinner Aaron Heal is Western Australia's leading wicket-taker this season in the domestic Pura Cup, which is food for thought for Shane Warne, Andrew Symonds, Monty Panesar, Ashley Giles and Kevin Pietersen.
Ponting said Warne, who needs six wickets to reach the 700-mark in tests, could spin the ball earlier than usual at the Waca, where he has endured his share of troubles over the years.
"With the wicket probably not being as fast and bouncy as in the past that would indicate to me it's going to turn and will probably turn early in the game, probably a lot earlier than it usually does here," Ponting said.
Such is the forecast spin, England are considering playing Panesar and Giles, having not played two spinners in Perth since Phil Edmonds and John Emburey teamed together 20 years ago. Pietersen's part-time offspin could also be called upon.
England will not name their team beforehand, but Panesar might be in line for a long-awaited Ashes debut given he turns the ball further than Giles and bowled well during the two-day match against Western Australia last weekend.
Symonds also bowled well in his last match at the Waca, bowling a mixture of medium pace and offspin for Queensland against Western Australia, and Ponting expected him to not only be a handful, but to give Warne some much needed respite.
Ponting joined the increasing number of players and commentators fearful that Australian pitches were losing their distinctiveness.
Fast bowler Brett Lee said he was worried aspiring quicks would be turned off bowling fast if Australian pitches continued to lose their zip, and favour batsmen.
Ponting was not critical of the job done by Sutherland, who has been curator at the Waca for a year.
"The beauty of Australia is the contrasting conditions you get in different states," Ponting said.
"Going to Brisbane it's always going to be fast and bouncy and offer a bit for the swing bowlers.
"Historically here [Perth] was the same. It was probably the fastest and bounciest wicket in the world. It probably isn't like that at the moment."
Meanwhile the Australian captain spoke for a nation when he wondered aloud on the retirement of his friend and teammate Damien Martyn: Why not one more week?
Ponting broke his silence on how Martyn's retirement had floored him, especially given his friend had been promised a test match in his home town of Perth, where the world champions could regain the Ashes.
Ponting, who was Martyn's best man, was on a Sydney golf course when told his national teammate of over seven years had bowed out.
"I was really shocked and really surprised by it all," Ponting said.
"I am as close to Marto as any of the guys in the team probably, we are really good mates, and I must admit I really didn't see it coming at all."
Ponting felt sure Martyn would have put pressure on himself after a lean start of only 45 runs from three innings in the first two test wins.
But even given the West Australian's desire to do the right thing by his team and bow out quietly, his skipper was clueless about the decision.
"When I sat back and digested he had retired I just thought 'Why not give it just one more week?'," Ponting said.
"You would have had a home test match. The chance to win the Ashes in this test match was there. I guess it was the timing thing more than anything that was the big surprise for me.
"We have all tried to be in contact with him as much as we can over the past few days. He is pretty aloof at the moment, hard to get hold of."
THIRD ASHES TEST
Perth, starting today
Australia: Ricky Ponting (c), Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Mike Hussey, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Glenn McGrath, Mitchell Johnson (12th man).
- AAP
