To
see where the ground was at during March this year versus now, please check out
the link below. You may have to copy and paste the URL into your browser if the hyperlink doesn't work. http://
Don't forget to read the opinion article regarding our Gabba squad announcement.
The building of the stands?
Put it this way. The ground is going to look unbelievable when complete and world class. I mean that. However, if you are sitting in the Southern Stand for the Ashes, at present you do not have a seat to sit on! It's serious crunch time for the construction boys. However, every time I see the ground there is progress so with them working round the clock I hope it will be all systems go.
History.
Today's game went at a slow pace but it was good to be a part of the history for the first ever match at the new Adelaide Oval. I was at the last game on the original turf, also between South Australia and Western Australia, so this was an added bonus. Excellent crowd attendance too for Sheffield Shield standards as many wanted to be apart of the historical day for the State. Plenty of news crews there as well reporting on the day.
The pitch?
Adam Zampa and Johan Botha did most of the bowling today with fair success. There was little in it for the seam bowlers and it was a rather flat deck. The carry through to the keeper (Tim Ludeman) wasn't anything exciting either. Keen to hear what the players thought as they were right out there breaking the surface in. The outfield is extremely slow, with stand still having to settle into the grass weaves. I expect this to quicken up a bit more if we have hotter, drier days building up to 5 December. We will be able to put together a good idea of the track come the conclusion of this match.
Marcus North - former Baggy Greener - scored a century for WA that had many shots of Brian Lara-like expertise and touch. Good use of the wrists, played too his strengths and it was a pretty flawless effort from him, given there was little threat come assistance for the bowlers from the deck. As mentioned recently in Michael Hussey's book, confidence will always be North's weakness and a reason I don't see a Test recall on the cards. Who knows though?
Below you can find a bunch of photos I took with relevant captions (photos by Ian Reid of The Baggy Green Blog).
Don't forget to read the opinion article regarding our Gabba squad announcement.
The building of the stands?
Put it this way. The ground is going to look unbelievable when complete and world class. I mean that. However, if you are sitting in the Southern Stand for the Ashes, at present you do not have a seat to sit on! It's serious crunch time for the construction boys. However, every time I see the ground there is progress so with them working round the clock I hope it will be all systems go.
History.
Today's game went at a slow pace but it was good to be a part of the history for the first ever match at the new Adelaide Oval. I was at the last game on the original turf, also between South Australia and Western Australia, so this was an added bonus. Excellent crowd attendance too for Sheffield Shield standards as many wanted to be apart of the historical day for the State. Plenty of news crews there as well reporting on the day.
The pitch?
Adam Zampa and Johan Botha did most of the bowling today with fair success. There was little in it for the seam bowlers and it was a rather flat deck. The carry through to the keeper (Tim Ludeman) wasn't anything exciting either. Keen to hear what the players thought as they were right out there breaking the surface in. The outfield is extremely slow, with stand still having to settle into the grass weaves. I expect this to quicken up a bit more if we have hotter, drier days building up to 5 December. We will be able to put together a good idea of the track come the conclusion of this match.
Marcus North - former Baggy Greener - scored a century for WA that had many shots of Brian Lara-like expertise and touch. Good use of the wrists, played too his strengths and it was a pretty flawless effort from him, given there was little threat come assistance for the bowlers from the deck. As mentioned recently in Michael Hussey's book, confidence will always be North's weakness and a reason I don't see a Test recall on the cards. Who knows though?
Below you can find a bunch of photos I took with relevant captions (photos by Ian Reid of The Baggy Green Blog).
 |
| A view of the Southern Stand (City End) from the West stands. |
 |
| Brilliant attendance for the 1st session of the match. West stand from hill. |
 |
| View of the Southern Stand from the Hill. Three slips & a gully for Sayers. |
 |
| It's the Eastern stands. Roofing coverage being set now. Seats done 20%. |
 |
| A more extensive view as to what the elevation is for the stands. |
 |
| Screen is operational between the Southern and Western stands. |
 |
| A snapshot of the action between the Redbacks and Warriors. |
 |
| Yep, the construction blokes taking a breather. They'll need them now! |
 |
| A picture of the new turf towards the wicket during the first drinks break. |
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| A view of the Eastern stands from up top the Western stand. See the sand. |
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| My favourite part of the Adelaide Oval with the Cathedral in view. Epic! |
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