Grassy Sabina Wicket Raises Eyebrows

Another 'sumfapitch' in the making? That's the question hovering around the grassy Sabina Park wicket being prepared for the decisive fifth Test between West Indies and India, beginning on Saturday.

According to reports from Jamaica, the wicket, which shot to infamy when deep cracks in the surface force the abandonment of a Test match against England in 1998, resembles an English 'green-top' track, leading to speculation the home side retain for fast bowlers in the final eleven.

Even the experts appeared surprised. Check these quotes:

Michael Holding: "In all my years playing and watching cricket at Sabina Park, I have never, and I mean never, seen a pitch with that much grass as this one has. My understanding is that they (groundstaff) are going to try and get it (grass covering) as uniform as they possibly can ... and if they are able to do that I think this will be a beautiful pitch."

"It should be consistent in pace and bounce but it will also be giving the fast bowlers a little more help than the pitches that we have seen around the Caribbean ...," said Holding.

Carl Hooper: "In all the years that I've played here, I've never really seen a Sabina wicket with this much grass on. It has always been hard with good carry for the fast bowlers ... but I've never seen so much grass."

Reporters covering the match are convinced Hooper and the team selection committee will field an unchanged team with pacers Merv Dillon, Cameron Cuffy, Adam Sanford and Pedro Collins having a go on the grassy track.

"Hopefully, it will help the fast bowlers with the ball seaming. If you noticed the Antigua wicket that we played on (in the fourth Test) was bare ... So even though sometimes the ball carried well, it just didn't seam well and we haven't really got swing bowlers," Hooper was quoted as saying in the Jamaica Observer.

While Hooper and his fast bowlers were salivating at the prospect of a lively wicket in the deciding game, Indian captain Sourav Ganguly seemed a bit flummoxed. "Good pitch" was his only response to a newspaper journalist. Coach John Wright declined to discuss the wicket.

Despite the raised eyebrows, Jamaica Cricket Board president Jackie Hendricks insisted the wicket looked "pretty good".

"People are making a lot of fuss over grass. If you want to see grass you go to England..."

** Photograph of Sabina pitch preparation, courtesy of Christine