Cricket: Black Caps lose their home-ground advantage

By RICHARD BOOCK

Not for the first time this summer, New Zealand have seen their home ground advantage swept away by unusual overhead conditions and a pitch that looks like it might have once served time as a rice paddy.

Having already endured some of the most unpredictable playing surfaces during the one-dayers, the New Zealanders were taken aback yesterday by the state of the test pitch in Hamilton, which appears under-prepared and unlikely to hold together.

The only consolation for Stephen Fleming's side is that South Africa are equally in the dark over its probable behaviour, and are also likely to be a touch anxious after misreading some of the one-day surfaces.

Flooded by high rainfall last month, the Westpac Park pitch-block lost virtually all of its grass covering to a resulting infection, rendering all of the usual test tracks useless and creating a huge task for the ground staff.

The strip eventually chosen as the test replacement is made of Kakanui-based clay from North Otago, has not been used previously, seems almost certain to play low and slow, and could possibly begin disintegrating quickly.

The state of the pitch will tempt both sides to play two spinners - New Zealand looking to the left and right-arm combination of Daniel Vettori and Paul Wiseman, and South Africa to chinaman exponent Paul Adams and Nicky Boje.

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming was playing his cards close to his chest yesterday, as there was still a small school of thought that the dark and mostly grassless pitch was carrying enough moisture to interest the seamers.

"What it's going to do? I'm not sure," Fleming said.

"The wicket block around it looks pretty dry, but what they've done to get a pitch is the issue.

"How much moisture will stay in it? Will it hold together or deteriorate very quickly? We're really not sure.

"It's another case of us effectively giving up the home ground advantage."

Fortunately for New Zealand, the extra balance created by the inclusion of all-rounders Chris Cairns and Jacob Oram will allow them to cut their cloth to suit the conditions, and will probably result in Chris Martin being omitted.

"We've got to be a side who can adjust and play on all surfaces," Fleming said. "If we have a wicket that's slow and low, then the spinners will hopefully get the opportunity."

The test series is particularly significant for Cairns as he needs just three more wickets and 136 runs to become the sixth player, and second New Zealander, in world cricket to achieve the double of 200 wickets and 3000 runs.

Fleming said that one of the highlights of the series should be the performance of the all-rounders in each side. South Africa were well-served by Shaun Pollock and Jacques Kallis, and New Zealand by Cairns and Jacob Oram.

New Zealand will carry a slightly modified line-up after promotions for wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum and opener Michael Papps, but Fleming said there were no teething problems as both had already played a major role in the one-day side.

South African skipper Graeme Smith was also mystified over the test pitch, but said his team were determined to adapt to whatever challenges lay before them, and were treating the series as a fresh start for the tour.

"This is a new start for us," he said.

"We want to win the test series. We played poorly in the one-dayers and need to turn it around."

The question now is whether South Africa will take the plunge and play Boje as well as Adams, a move that would almost certainly leave pacemen Andre Nel and David Terbrugge on the outer, and could expose injured seamer Shaun Pollock.

The teams

New Zealand (from): Stephen Fleming (captain), Michael Papps, Mark Richardson, Scott Styris, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns, Jacob Oram, Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum, Dary Tuffey, Paul Wiseman, Chris Martin.

South Africa (from): Graeme Smith (captain), Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Neil McKenzie, Gary Kirsten, Jacques Rudolph, Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel, Paul Adams, Nicky Boje, David Terbrugge, Martin van Jaarsveld, Albie Morkel.