New Zealand’s dismal summer, especially for cricket’s groundsmen, has resulted in some soul-searching both at official and unofficial level.A group of New Zealand turf experts decided to do some research of results in one-day internationals around the world and came up with some interesting, although not completely surprising, statistics. Wisden CricInfo New Zealand decided to investigate further and gathered data based on matches played up until the end of the West Indies-Australia series at the start of June 2003.New Zealand was found to be one of the least hospitable places to play ODIs, in terms of runs per over (RPO) scored. But it wasn’t the worst of the major nations, England had that pleasure.What was surprising was the countries that have had the highest number of runs per over in all ODIs played in their country.The natural inclination is to expect warmer countries with harder pitches like Australia, South Africa or the West Indies. But believe that and you’d be wrong. Australia is actually ranked below New Zealand.Of all the major countries to have staged one-day internationals since January 1971 India is the best place, closely followed by Bangladesh and Pakistan!On a runs per over basis, India comes out with a match average of 4.88 runs per over. That is less than the 5.20 Singapore enjoys, but the smaller Singapore venues have only hosted 14 matches. India has hosted 237 games.Average runs per over in ODIs in all countries:
Country Mat RPM WPM RPO Playing SpanSingapore 14 372 14.0 5.20 (1995/96-2000/01)India 237 438 13.7 4.88 (1981/82-2002/03)Bangladesh 54 431 13.6 4.85 (1988/89-2003)Pakistan 135 406 13.0 4.83 (1976/77-2002)Morocco 7 457 16.3 4.76 (2002)Kenya 43 415 14.5 4.75 (1996/97-2002/03)Zimbabwe 69 429 13.4 4.74 (1992/93-2002/03)West Indies 114 411 13.4 4.64 (1976/77-2002/03)South Africa 181 410 14.2 4.63 (1992/93-2002/03)Sri Lanka 142 378 13.3 4.55 (1981/82-2003)United Arab Emirates 198 415 14.6 4.50 (1983/84-2002/03)New Zealand 173 393 14.3 4.44 (1972/73-2002/03)Canada 22 381 14.5 4.41 (1996-1999)Australia 416 396 14.6 4.33 (1970/71-2002/03)England 212 425 14.3 4.30 (1972-2002)Ireland 1 365 13.0 3.81 (1999)Scotland 2 296 16.5 3.79 (1999)Netherlands 1 305 13.0 3.57 (1999)Combined 2021 409 14.1 4.55 (1970/71-2003)
England is a revealing last of the major nations which, is possibly reflective of the lesser number of one-day internationals it has staged until recently. Given the amount of domestic one-day cricket it plays, its players should be used to playing on a much wider variety of surfaces.Another interesting fact is that for all New Zealand’s pitches have been maligned, they are 0.11 runs per over higher than Australian grounds for scores in matches. Of course, several of the Australian grounds are bigger than most New Zealand grounds and that could be a factor.Average runs per over at major Australia/New Zealand venues (1970/71-2002/03):
Venue Mat RPOBrisbane 50 4.53Christchurch 36 4.52Napier 21 4.48Adelaide 54 4.43Auckland 47 4.42Hamilton 12 4.38Hobart 19 4.33Dunedin 20 4.33Sydney 115 4.31Wellington (WS) 7 4.31Wellington (BR) 25 4.30Melbourne (CS) 5 4.29Perth 52 4.28Melbourne (MCG) 114 4.26
It also could be due to the lower scoring rates in the heavier programme of day/night games played in Australia.Average runs per over in day/night ODIs in all countries (1979/80-2003):
Country Mat RPOPakistan 15 5.28Bangladesh 38 4.97England 9 4.92India 42 4.86Sri Lanka 45 4.71New Zealand 42 4.67South Africa 85 4.59United Arab Emirates 79 4.56Australia 232 4.33
Australia also played more ODIs before the one-day ‘revolution’ which occured in the mid-1990s, where the scoring rate increased significantly worldwide. Through the 32 years from 1971, the worldwide average runs per over is 4.55. However, over the last decade the average has been 4.69 and in the last five years 4.75.Last 10 years:
Country Mat RPM WPM RPOSingapore 14 372 14.0 5.20India 131 454 14.2 4.96Bangladesh 47 444 13.9 4.94Pakistan 62 450 13.3 4.91Morocco 7 457 16.3 4.76Zimbabwe 65 428 13.3 4.75Kenya 43 415 14.5 4.75South Africa 164 416 14.3 4.72West Indies 64 429 14.4 4.69England 89 425 14.2 4.66Sri Lanka 111 392 13.5 4.60New Zealand 93 400 14.5 4.57United Arab Emirates 131 424 14.9 4.57Australia 142 419 15.1 4.50Canada 22 381 14.5 4.41Ireland 1 365 13.0 3.81Scotland 2 296 16.5 3.79Netherlands 1 305 13.0 3.57Combined 1189 422 14.3 4.69
Last 5 years:
Country Mat RPM WPM RPOIndia 45 509 14.6 5.44Singapore 9 367 13.8 5.15Pakistan 15 481 14.8 5.14Bangladesh 41 447 14.0 4.90Zimbabwe 48 429 12.7 4.84Morocco 7 457 16.3 4.76South Africa 107 411 14.2 4.76Australia 79 438 15.0 4.73New Zealand 48 398 14.1 4.73England 71 421 14.2 4.69Kenya 28 403 14.1 4.60West Indies 38 415 14.1 4.60United Arab Emirates 66 416 15.1 4.54Sri Lanka 67 391 14.2 4.52Canada 11 404 15.0 4.35Ireland 1 365 13.0 3.81Scotland 2 296 16.5 3.79Netherlands 1 305 13.0 3.57Combined 684 423 14.3 4.75
It is not surprising given their respective climates, that the Indian, Pakistan, Sri Lankan, Kenya and Bangladeshi pitches are also more likely to provide spinners with wickets in ODIs. Among the major nations the country least likely to provide spinners with wickets is England where the proportion of wickets taken by a spinner rates at 15.6%, which is lower than New Zealand’s 18.3% and South Africa’s 18.8%.The most likely place for pace bowlers to get wickets is South Africa where the percentage is 68.2%, Australia is on 64.4% and the West Indies 61.8%.England comes out on top in the medium-pacer stakes with 15.7% of dismissals being to medium-pacers, just ahead of New Zealand’s 15.2%.Breakdown of ODI wickets taken in all countries (1970/71-2003):
Mat Pace Medium Spin Combo UnknownAustralia 416 64.4% 10.1% 19.1% 5.7% 0.6%Bangladesh 54 47.5% 10.9% 38.6% 3.1% 0.0%Canada 22 48.4% 12.1% 35.3% 4.2% 0.0%England 212 63.7% 15.7% 15.6% 4.4% 0.6%India 237 48.5% 13.9% 32.1% 5.5% 0.0%Ireland 1 75.0% 16.7% 8.3% 0.0% 0.0%Kenya 43 52.2% 9.9% 35.3% 2.5% 0.0%Morocco 7 75.7% 0.0% 24.3% 0.0% 0.0%Netherlands 1 84.6% 7.7% 7.7% 0.0% 0.0%New Zealand 173 57.6% 15.2% 18.3% 8.7% 0.2%Pakistan 135 56.8% 7.3% 29.7% 6.0% 0.2%South Africa 181 68.2% 9.4% 18.8% 3.5% 0.1%Scotland 2 64.5% 9.7% 12.9% 12.9% 0.0%Sri Lanka 142 45.2% 9.6% 38.3% 6.8% 0.2%Singapore 14 58.0% 7.4% 32.4% 2.3% 0.0%United Arab Emirates 198 53.6% 9.5% 32.9% 4.0% 0.0%West Indies 114 61.8% 8.8% 23.5% 5.5% 0.4%Zimbabwe 69 54.4% 14.4% 28.2% 2.4% 0.6%Combined 2021 58.1% 11.3% 25.1% 5.2% 0.3%
In New Zealand, the ground most likely to suit spinners has been Westpac Park in Hamilton where 27.9% of wickets to fall have been taken by spinners. However, in the last five years, that figure has been only 17.9%. Given the speeding up of the Hamilton surface that is not surprising. This has been New Zealand’s most successful venue with an 88.9% win ratio. The least effective have been Carisbrook in Dunedin with only 12.7% and the recently-developed one-day stadium in Wellington where 12.9% of wickets have been to spin.Pace bowlers still hold sway at all New Zealand grounds, although Hamilton, historically, is the lowest of the main grounds likely to produce a wicket for the faster bowlers with 52.9%. But given the changes at that ground, that statistic is likely to rise in the next few years.Breakdown of ODI wickets taken at New Zealand venues (1972/73-2002/03):
Mat Pace Medium Spin Combo UnknownAuckland 47 54.5% 15.3% 19.5% 10.3% 0.3%Christchurch 36 61.2% 14.7% 18.6% 5.3% 0.2%Dunedin 20 60.0% 16.5% 12.7% 10.0% 0.8%Hamilton 12 52.9% 10.7% 27.9% 7.9% 0.7%Napier 21 58.6% 11.8% 16.3% 12.2% 1.1%New Plymouth 1 60.0% 20.0% 20.0% 0.0% 0.0%Queenstown 1 100.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%Taupo 3 44.4% 16.7% 30.6% 5.6% 2.8%Wellington (BR) 25 60.5% 15.2% 18.8% 5.5% 0.0%Wellington (WS) 7 64.7% 11.8% 12.9% 10.6% 0.0%
As a result of this type of survey, turf management experts in New Zealand are hoping to get involved in a programme of assessment in order to continue their efforts to improve pitch standards in New Zealand.Experiments are already underway to see if the more suitable couch grass that is so common in the warmer weather countries can be grown, under care, during a New Zealand winter.Meanwhile, at the recent turf management conference in Auckland, involving people from all sports who care for grass surfaces, the curator of Bellerive Oval in Hobart, Peter Apps, was a guest speaker. He grows both couch and the rye grass preferred in New Zealand on his wicket block and told the New Zealand groundsmen that couch takes longer to come out of its winter dormancy than rye grass.And during the conference, at a cricket groundsman’s section meeting, New Zealand Cricket’s operations manager John Reid was awarded the groundsmen’s annual award for contribution to their craft.
