Cricket: Experimental pitch gets off to slow start

CHRISTCHURCH - Central Districts won the first battle in what Canterbury coach Garry MacDonald described as "a war of attrition" fought out on the portable cricket pitch at Jade Stadium yesterday.

Most of the Central Districts batsmen had longish stays on the experimental strip, being used at Shell Trophy level for the first time, while seeing their side through to 270 for four wickets at stumps on the opening day after a delayed start.

The pitch was not ideal though.

"It's low and slow, not ideal," said Central Districts captain Craig Spearman, who was batting as fluently as anyone until his innings was cut short on 33 when he was run out by Craig Cumming's accurate throw from cover.

"You get this sort of wicket from time to time around the place. But it has played a bit better than I thought it was going to. It's not easy to score if the bowling is straight," Spearman said.

Both sides included an extra spinner after studying the camel-coloured pitch, and Spearman had no hesitation in batting after winning the toss.

Although Warren Wisneski made an early breakthrough with the first and second new balls, Central Districts' batsmen held centre stage as Canterbury's seam bowlers toiled away and the slow bowlers searched in vain for encouraging turn.

"It's a flat, dead wicket with no life, but is playing very true," MacDonald said. Once you are in, you could stay all day. It's a war of attrition for the bowlers.

"But it is playing better than I thought. My first impression was it might be a real shocker. That was a huge toss to win," he said.

Spearman and Mathew Sinclair, who made 53, scored their first 50 runs together in 45 minutes, but Spearman's departure and Mark Priest's arrival slowed the advance to a crawl.

Sinclair and Glen Sulzberger, who finished with 84, needed 105 minutes to register their first 50.

After Sinclair, who became becalmed in the 40s for 68 minutes, fell as Stephen Cunis' first victim at first-class level, Mark Douglas and Sulzberger lifted the run rate.

Sulzberger survived a caught and bowled chance to left-arm spinner Priest on 17 and was on course for his third first-class century until Wisneski had the second new ball skid through into his pads.

The pugnacious Douglas was decisively the fastest of the half-centurions, as befitting one whose first two scoring shots were an over-thrown five and a bludgeoned six.

Douglas will resume today on 63. - NZPA