Durban track will be balanced, says Kingsmead curator

DURBAN - After an innings defeat in the first cricket Test, Indian batsmen will have something to look forward to in the second Test match against South Africa here as the chief groundsman of the Kingsmead Stadium, Wilson Ngobese said the wicket will be balanced and will not help the bowlers excessively.

“The track will not help bowlers excessively. It would be a lot more balanced. I want to give a wicket that is fair for everybody,” Ngobese said.

Taking a dig at the Indian batsmen, who were bowled out for 136 runs in the first innings in Centurion Test, Ngobese said: “Even if you cant bat I cant help it. Then it is their bad luck. I don’t like cracks on my pitch and will not get rid of the grasses on the track. The grasses will help to bind the track together.”

He also said that weather and the sea breeze will be a major factor.

“There is forecast for rain till the start of the match, and I am hoping for more sunny days. It should help the bowlers with good bounce. I dont want to show cracks on the pitch, said Ngobese.

Ngobese said the sea breeze will help the bowlers, but the one blowing from west to east, into the Indian Ocean, can trouble the batsmen and the game. The breeze from the west will bring rain and the one from the sea will blow it away.

South Africa also don’t have a good record at Kingsmead as out of 37 Tests held here, they have 13 wins and 11 losses - their worst record at home. They have also lost their last two Tests here against Australia and England.