Questions surround WACA bounce
With England batsmen publicly stating surprise at the lack of pace in Australian pitches, the number four deck at Perth's WACA Ground is about to become the most talked about piece of real estate in Australia.
Long regarded as the quickest and bounciest surface in the world, the WACA has more recently been a place where batsmen and slow bowlers prosper, and quicks are made to toil.
And despite WACA curator Cameron Sutherland stating his intention to inject more juice into the surface ahead of Thursday's third Ashes Test, those who have seen it up close say pace bowlers from both sides looking for some help in the west may be disappointed.
England opener Alastair Cook, who hit a century at the WACA during this weekend's tour match against WA, said he felt pitches in England were now quicker than in Australia.
"The (second Test) Adelaide one was very slow. You hear everything about coming to Australia and the bouncy wickets, but the bounciest wickets I've played on in my career so far have all been in England," Cook said.
"It's been surprising. The WACA one on the first day looked quite quick and the nets are quite lively, so I don't know what's going to happen on the wicket this week.
"But (generally) it has been slightly surprising, the lack of pace in them."
The changing nature of the WACA pitch has been illustrated no more starkly than in the success rate for WA's fast and slow bowlers this year.
Young left-armer Aaron Heal has taken 17 wickets in his three games, including two scalps against England, and Brad Hogg claimed six in an innings against Queensland.
Former WA great Terry Alderman this week blamed the modern WACA wickets for the poor form of WA's current crop of fast bowlers, saying their spirits had been broken by a lack of pace and carry.
And former England wicketkeeper batsman Alec Stewart said on his viewing since arriving in Australia, England may plump for two slow bowlers on Thursday - a ploy Australian rued not using against South Africa in the drawn Test in Perth last year.
"I was only down there for a few hours yesterday at the WACA, but I saw a little bit of turn, and talking to some of the WA boys they have said this year it has spun," Stewart said.
"I wouldn't discount England playing two spinners. The two of them (Ashley Giles and Monty Panesar) can work well in tandem, because they are different types of bowlers."
It is 20 years since England last did that in Perth, when John Emburey and Phil Edmonds paired up in 1986, bowling almost 120 overs between them for six wickets.
Emburey, who is due to play in a Legends Twenty-20 game at the WACA on Tuesday, says he remembers lots of runs and big cracks in that pitch - but said England should consider the option if the pitch warrants it.
"It is certainly not (unprecedented), and if we are struggling - there is no reason two spinners can't play," Emburey said.[/b]
