Ponting irritated with Showground pitch as Thunder lose low-scoring sport to Scorchers

Perth Scorchers 140 for 3 (Crawley 58, Inglis 26*, McAndrew 2-27) beat Sydney Thunder 137 for 8 (Hales 72, Kohler-Cadmore 27, Connolly 3-25, Agar 2-6) by seven wickets

Data from the Seven community confirmed a mean spin of three.9 levels in Scorchers’ bowling innings, effectively in extra of the two.2-degree common throughout the BBL.

“The Thunder for years have talked about how much they love playing in Canberra, maybe that’s a solution. They have some good young players in this squad, but they might not have them forever if the wicket continues to be this way”

Ricky Ponting

“We shouldn’t be seeing balls react like that in the BBL,” Ponting mentioned on commentary, including, “As far as I am concerned, this is substandard as far as BBL wickets are concerned.”

Scorchers wicketkeeper Sam Whiteman additionally remarked that it “looked like Chennai”, with Agar’s figures the second-most economical in BBL historical past.

The pitch has develop into an issue for Cricket Australia, provided that the league is seen as a gateway to the game for kids. In one of the crucial populated and culturally-diverse areas of Australia, the run price of seven.76 on the venue all through the competitors’s historical past is decrease than at another main BBL stadium.

Only one rating of over 160 has been made up to now two seasons, with spin and off-pace deliveries usually dominating. So sluggish did issues transfer within the Thunder innings that they scored solely 19 runs in a six-over interval late within the innings in entrance of a crowd of 8672.

Ponting went on to query if Thunder ought to transfer to Canberra completely given the state of the Showground pitch, with the membership already taking part in two video games a season at Manuka Oval.

“The Sydney Thunder have been a struggling team for the last few years,” Ponting mentioned. “And how are you going to attract young players from around the team or overseas, if they’re going to be batting on a wicket like that?

“The Thunder for years have talked about how a lot they love taking part in in Canberra, possibly that is an answer. They have some good younger gamers on this squad, however they may not have them endlessly if the wicket continues to be this manner.”

Agar, nevertheless, defended the groundstaff after play. “I do not envy the groundsman, with situations that had been dished up. It poured down rain all day,” he said. “Obviously the Big Bash is an entertaining sport, and also you need to see excessive scores and balls flying over the fence. But there’s so much to be realized from video games like that. Things to be realized for guys who go abroad.”