Serato pitch n time

LONDON: Be it a rainy night in Southampton, Wolverhampton or Manchester one constant image of a relentless and often unpredictable Premier League season has been the pristine playing surfaces on which the drama has unfolded. Battered by the elements, Premier League pitches have remained oases of green, a far cry from winters of old when groundsmen armed with forks and buckets of sand, fought losing battles to stop their cherished turf resembling quicksand. Fans watching every game live from the comfort of their armchairs now take it for granted that a pass will zip across the surface as true as a billiard ball on green baize. What they might not appreciate is the state-of-the-art technology that creates the stages for the likes of Mohamed Salah, Kevin de Bruyne and Harry Kane to shine. "These days it has become much more scientific," John Wright, head groundsman at Southampton, told Reuters as he prepared his greensward ready for Chelsea's weekend visit. "You have to be … [Read more...] about Rain or shine, Premier League is pitch perfect

Challenging? Definitely. Extreme? Certainly. Sub-standard? To be determined… England captain Joe Root said the International Cricket Council may want to consider if the pitch used in the third Test was "fit for purpose" after his side's 10-wicket defeat to India inside two days - but did accept India outplayed his team. Sky Sports pundits Rob Key, David Lloyd and Mike Atherton and India's Rohit Sharma shared their views on the surface in the wake of the tourists' Ahmedabad defeat, which means England can no longer qualify for this summer's World Test Championship final. Here are their thoughts... Sky Sports pundit Rob Key "It was compelling viewing, there was no doubt about that, as it always is when you play on a pitch that is not fit for Test cricket. "India sailed close to the wind in the last Test with the pitch they prepared - Rohit Sharma and Ashwin got runs and people said the pitch was fine, but that pitch exploded on day one; dust was coming out of it and … [Read more...] about Pitch for third Test between India and England was not fit for Test cricket, says Rob Key

ENGLAND TOUR OF INDIA, 2021 by Rob Johnston • Last updated on Share Tweet We do have to get better on these pitches and we do have to accept there's places where we could have improved: Silverwood © Getty Head coach Chris Silverwood says he will sit down with Joe Root to discuss whether England should make any official representations about the standard of the third Test pitch in Ahmedabad. The game concluded early in the final session of the second day, the shortest Test match since 1935, as both England and India struggled with a surface that spun appreciably. India lost seven wickets for 46 on the second day - with Joe Root taking 5 for 8 - while England were then hustled out for just 81 in their second innings. In all, 17 wickets fell in the first two sessions of day two. Although both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma both said the pitch was good for batting at the conclusion of the game, others, including Yuvraj Singh … [Read more...] about Silverwood, Root to discuss on making official representation over Ahmedabad pitch

BARCELONA: Barcelona's coach Ronald Koeman is not happy that they are playing Thursday's (Jan 20) Copa del Rey last-32 tie away to third division Cornella on an astroturf pitch but said he will not make excuses should his side suffer a shock defeat. Cornella knocked out La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid in the last round with a 1-0 win and Cup shocks are becoming much more common in Spain since the competition format changed last year, eliminating two-legged ties. "It's great when a team from the third division plays a game like this at their stadium, I have no problem with that, but I do have a problem if it's a type of pitch we don't usually play on," Koeman told a news conference on Wednesday. "For me, playing on an artificial pitch is not football. I understand that when these sides play a big team they have the advantage of playing at home, but it should also depend on the state of the pitch, the floodlights, etcetera." The Dutch coach said he may rotate his squad and give … [Read more...] about Football: Koeman unhappy with astroturf pitch for Spanish Cup tie

'I think that this surface, it's a very challenging one, is a very difficult one to play on.' IMAGE: England captain Joe Root refused to blame the pitch for his team's batting woes in the third Test in Motera. Photograph: BCCI England skipper Joe Root on Thursday said it is up to the International Cricket Council, and not the players, to decide whether the "difficult" Motera pitch is suitable for Test cricket after his side was crushed inside two days by India in a low-scoring day-night encounter. Root refused to blame the pitch for England's batting woes after the team folded for 112 and 81 in their two innings as they lost the Test by 10 wickets. But at the same time, he said it is the ICC that should consider the suitability of the pitch for Test cricket. … [Read more...] about For ICC, not players, to decide on Motera pitch: Root