'The pitches are quick'

Senwes Park, the venue on which millions of Bangladeshi eyeballs will be tuned into from Thursday afternoon, is not one of South Africa's premier Test venues. It has been a regular stop for ODI matches since October 2000, with 18 matches played here over the years, but there has been only one Test here, in October 2002. The visiting team then was a hapless Bangladesh side that was bundled out by the likes of Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis and Nantie Hayward for 215 and 107 on way to losing by an innings and 160 runs.

Both teams are worlds removed from 15 years ago, with Bangladesh having progressed far from the two-year-old babes of Test cricket in 2002, and a new generation of South African players now representing the rainbow nation. Given Bangladesh's relative inexperience then and that the 2002 Test is the only frame of reference, not much can be said about the pitch that awaits the Tigers tomorrow from that solitary match.

A look at the leading wicket-takers here in ODIs may reveal a bit more. Only cricket tragics of scary proportions can name the chart-topper here – Edgar Schiferli, the Netherlands medium pacer who took nine wickets going back to the 2003 World Cup. But the names from second onwards hint at this being a wicket for fast bowlers. Glenn Mcgrath took seven for 15 here against Namibia in 2003, and the nine of the top 10 wicket-takers here are pacers.

"It is quick," said Willem Lemmer, the assistant groundsman yesterday. He would not say anything about the pitch being prepared, for obvious reasons, but was willing to say how it normally behaves. "There is bounce, and it is quick."

The pitch itself bears a white look, hinting at a hard surface. The good news for Bangladesh's batsmen may be that, according to Lemmer, there will not be a lot of lateral movement.

"Lateral movement... maybe not so much. It does a bit early on."

Julian Sautter, a first-class player for the Northwest Dragons, for which Senwes Park is the home ground, gave Bangladesh further cause for hope.

"It flattens out," said the tall seamer who has been bowling at the Bangladesh batsmen in the nets for the past two days. "Not flat as in slow and low, but the ball comes on to the bat after the first hour, when there is lateral movement. I would say most times it is a bat-first wicket, unless there is a lot of grass on it."

The signs, therefore, are that Bangladesh's batsmen need not worry too much, especially as Sautter added that the net wickets were usually more spicy than the one out in the middle.

Also, according to Lemmer, with the surface being hard, the shine on the ball lasts for around 25-30 overs, so it is a matter of getting through the first two hours with minimal damage. But apparently there will not be much joy for the spinners.

"The pitch doesn't break up much," Lemmer added almost as an afterthought. "It turns a bit from Day Four."