Demerit point for Chittagong pitch
The pitch for the drawn first Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in Chittagong was rated 'below average' by ICC match referee David Boon, resulting in the cricket's global governing body handing the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium a demerit point, an ICC media release issued earlier today informed.
The demerit point will remain active for a rolling five-year period and if the venue reaches the threshold of five demerit points over the next five years, it will be suspended from staging any international cricket for 12 months.
1533 runs were scored by the two sides while only 24 wickets fell over the five days of the Test that ended on February 4. There were a total of five centuries and six half-centuries, with Bangladesh scoring 513 and 307 for five in their two innings and Sri Lanka piling up 713 for nine in their only innings.
"The pitch provided no seam movement to the fast bowlers with the new ball and also lacked carry and bounce throughout the match," Boon's report, which was also forwarded to the Bangladesh Cricket Board, said. "The pitch did offer occasional slow turn for the spinners early on, but it did not deteriorate as much as would have been expected as the match progressed, resulting in a pitch that too heavily favoured the batsmen across the five days."
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