Cricket: Straight shooters reap rewards

Shane Bond. Photo / Getty Images

Eden Park's new pitch angle will change the way one-day and Twenty20 cricket is played there.

The move of 45 degrees to a direct north-south axis has reduced the distance for a straight hit, meaning fans could be treated to more straight hitting, rather than legside slogs and pulls.

The re-shaping of the ground as a cricket venue has removed the boundary irregularities, transforming the ground from a misshapen polygon - where some boundaries were considerably shorter than others - into a more traditional oval.

From now on, over-pitched or even good-length balls risk being dispatched down the ground or - if a batsman like Brendon McCullum is feeling audacious - with a scoop shot over the wicketkeeper.

The amendments to the ground and the pitch mean a straight hit for a four or six will cover a distance of around 68 metres, depending on how far players dance down the wicket. That reduces the previous distance by about seven metres - a lot for a batsman seeking a boundary.

It should encourage straight hitting and bowlers could look to keep their stock deliveries shorter of a length than normal to avoid being punished.

Strokes square of the wicket will need to travel about 66m to the rope, compared to up to 70m in the past. While that sounds as if such shots have less distance to travel, the reality is that Eden Park's former shape meant some boundaries were much shorter than that - and one in particular was only 51m away. The changes have given the ground a longer average distance to score a boundary square of the wicket.

Shane Bond played one test, seven one-day internationals and one Twenty20 match at the ground as a Black Cap. He says the fine leg boundary (for a right-hander) was always difficult to cover but a shorter long-on could be the new problem area.

"That is a power area for a number of players these days so it will be tough to adapt. What you're probably going to see is bowlers delivering short or slightly wider. It will also be interesting to see what effect the wind will have and whether the new stands block it out. Sometimes at big grounds like Melbourne the wind would Blow one way and then bounce back."

Head groundsman Mark Perham says the move gives Eden Park more balance: "It's hard to understand why it wasn't done years ago but I guess the stands were in different positions then. The changes provide a more natural oval."

Retractable seats on the new South Stand also give ground staff 11 extra metres to work with during the cricket season.

Some of the quirks created by the unusual shape of the previous South Stand are gone too, such as the 51m boundary at fine leg. That used to suit right-handers fond of the hook shot or leg glance and lefthanders keen to cut in the air behind point for bonus runs, provided they got some decent wood on it.

Current Black Caps batting coach Mark Greatbatch, who achieved folk hero status opening at Eden Park as a lefthander at the 1992 World Cup, is sad to see the literal shortcut disappear.

"Yes, it was an easy boundary but I'm sure batsmen will find a new spot."

The polar ends of the pitch seem a likely target.

Greatbatch became the pioneer of New Zealand pinch hitting at that event - and fortunately the evidence where he dispatched the likes of West Indian bowlers Malcolm Marshall and Curtly Ambrose to all parts is preserved on YoutTube.

However he agrees the move is for the better: "It's an exciting new venture with the change of pitch position. I like the fact they've kept the longer boundaries square and offered more reward for straight hitting."

The paying spectator will reap those rewards too. The best cricket and rugby seats in the house are the same. The halfway line doubles as wicket-to-wicket, depending on your favourite code.

One of the most sought after areas for viewing, certainly in the summer, will be the level four 'members area' of the new stand. Fans will be able to prop themselves against bar leaners basking in the late afternoon sun while still being well-enough in line to see the direction the ball moves in the air.

They might also look forward to some over-pitched bowling to enhance the spectacle.