Adelaide Oval - Australia's best batting wicket

Historically Adelaide Oval has the reputation of being one of the best batting wicket around the world – certainly Australia’s best.  As many as 20 double centuries have been scored on this ground – best by none other than Sir Don himself. He scored 299* against South Africa in the year 1932 .

With the pitch relaid earlier this year, the curator Damian Hough  has put in all the effort to  get it as close as possible  to original Adelaide surface. He was quoted saying “We are trying to produce a typical Adelaide Oval pitch, something that will be good to bat on and something that will hopefully spin as the game goes on.”

Adelaide Oval – Infographic

Unlike at Brisbane or Perth, the pitch at Adelaide Oval would not be conducive for short pitch bowling – It will be interesting to see  Mitchell Johnson’s strategies.
However, it could assist spin bowlers -  Nathan Lyon has had success in the past  on this wicket against top quality players of spin.  In the last 2 years, Lyon  has  manged to get wickets of Sachin, Laxman, Sehwag, Amla and Kallis  at Adelaide Oval. These are big names in international cricket – some achievement this. And moreover he has got the rhythm going for him and his bowling in the first test match at Brisbane was decet –  Watch out for Nathan Lyon.

Looking at the stats from the recent matches and the patterns of dismissals  on this surface –  ‘Good length’ has been the preferred length by the bowlers. The below pitch map graphic shows that  - Dismissals through short pitch and full length deliveries have been few and far between and majority wickets are taken by bowling on Good Length – 71% for for fast  and 53% for spinners. Spinners  could afford to pitch it further up. Good length – is the length at Adelaide oval.

On the other hand, English batsman will breathe a sigh of relief knowing that this pitch would be a touch slower than Brisbane. Cook, Bell and Pitersen would be expected to score big and it would be a new  experience for Carberry and Root to play Lyon on a  turning surface.

Would it be Australia – would be England – or would it be a DRAW,  lets wait and watch. Adelaide – here we come!

Pitch map of last 2 years @ Adelaide Oval