waltzing Meninga
Bench
- Messages
- 2,984
Batting has definately become easier since 2000, and I mainly attribute this to the quality of pitches. They are so much flatter and freindlier now. Very rarely do you see a traditional green top or pitches with cracks that deviate the ball.
I think this is also part of the reason why the bowling is considered weaker now than it used to be. The bowlers do not get the same assistance off the pitch they used to. A ball on todays pitches that lands on a good line and length can be fairly easily dealt with if it continues straight on. On the pitches of years gone by the same ball may move 3 cm off the pitch and get an edge or bowl the batsmen.
In cricket, movement of the ball is everything IMO. You can bowl at 170km/h, put it on a great line and length, but if there is no movement off the pitch or in the air then a quality batsmen shouldn't have too many problems.
I think movement of the ball is a great element to the game and it has been taken away with the quality of pitches we are seeing for test matches. This has largely shifted the domination in this decade of cricket to the batsmen.
I think this is also part of the reason why the bowling is considered weaker now than it used to be. The bowlers do not get the same assistance off the pitch they used to. A ball on todays pitches that lands on a good line and length can be fairly easily dealt with if it continues straight on. On the pitches of years gone by the same ball may move 3 cm off the pitch and get an edge or bowl the batsmen.
In cricket, movement of the ball is everything IMO. You can bowl at 170km/h, put it on a great line and length, but if there is no movement off the pitch or in the air then a quality batsmen shouldn't have too many problems.
I think movement of the ball is a great element to the game and it has been taken away with the quality of pitches we are seeing for test matches. This has largely shifted the domination in this decade of cricket to the batsmen.
