Flat, lifeless pitch - Why...?

First Test against India, Trent Bridge - Day Two.

At the risk of sounding like Ian Botham, who has moaned extensively about this subject for ages, I feel compelled to ask:

Why, when we're playing India (masters of batting on flat tracks in the Sub-Continent and scoring for fun) have the ground staff prepared a wicket which couldn't be any deader if they'd chopped its head off and thrown it on a bonfire?

Our bowling attack is no longer the best in the world - I'd argue it's not even the best in England, so why not prepare the pitch in a way that gave us more of an advantage?

It's not cheating, everybody else does it.

I just don't think we help ourselves sometimes......

(That said, three Indian wickets have just gone down whilst I've been typing this, so it's not all bad....)

Breadman wrote:....

(That said, three Indian wickets have just gone down whilst I've been typing this, so it's not all bad....)

I wonder if Trent Bridge has an Asian groundsman?

India 430-9 now.

This pitch is getting even flatter and slower.

But I bet we'll still wind up all out for about 250 tomorrow........

It's all about money. A lively wicket from the start could see a test match over in three days. The fourth and fifth days would be dead.

You're probably right there, Boncey.

Although, I can't see the ECB being too distressed if matches ended early because it tells you in big letters on your ticket that if there's no play on Day Five because the game's over, you ain't entitled to a refund.

Even on other days, so long as they've bowled more that 10.1 overs (ie about an hour's play with modern over rates), all you get back is 50% of your money.

I know because this has happened to me in the past.......bastards!

I think it's only day 5 that you can't claim for. A mate of mine got a refund for day 4 after the test ended after 3,but his brother who had booked for the 5th day couldn't claim a penny. Not sure this is gospel but I think it's right.

Day 3 - Tea: England 205 - 7.

As I said yesterday, it'll be Goodnight Vienna by about 250.......

We are mentally weak at the moment and it needs sorting.