Promise of pace and bounce in Perth delights Aussie quicks

The wild west is back with Perth Stadium ground staff promising a pitch with plenty of pace and bounce for the NRMA Insurance Test opener in Perth.

Australia's Test summer will begin in the midst of 35-degree heat in Western Australia on Wednesday, making for a tough first day in the battle for the Frank Worrell Trophy for whomever bowls first.

But there will at least be some early assistance.

Curator Isaac McDonald said on Tuesday he expected pace and bounce from the opening day, in line with what was experienced in the T20 World Cup.

That could make for a throwback to the famous bouncy wickets of decades gone by at the WACA, where the same Waroona River soil is used.

"Recent pitches in the past have had the quick, fast, bouncy, characteristics. So we are trying to emulate that in the long form," McDonald said.

"We're lucky in our clay is the highest clay content in the country.

"We are able to push the clay further in limits and squeeze more life out of it. It just sets like concrete if you get it right.

"The warmer weather aids with our cricket soil, getting that extra hardness on day one rather than waiting for day two."

McDonald though is confident the pitch won't crack up like it did four years ago against India, making it a nightmare to bat on.

That pitch and its sideway cracks brought back memories of the 1996-97 Test between Australia and West Indies, where Greg Blewett was bowled by a ball that stayed ankle high and Curtly Ambrose was run out when his bat became stuck in a crack.

Players are wary of similar conditions this year.

But McDonald is hopeful the 12mm of grass left on in the 37-degree heat the day before the match would counteract that, adding to a more mature pitch than four years ago.

"That heat was unprecedented and it was for a long period of time," McDonald said of 2018-19.

"The nature of that pitch still being quite new, the grass sods weren't fully developed at that stage and it's not quite as strong as it could be.

"The testing we have done so far tells us we have good moisture below (this year) ... I don't think there will be too many big cracks open up."

Image Id: 3F16657101FC4706B86DA9E6B58E2B35 Image Caption: The Perth Stadium pitch before it's final mow // cricket.com.au

McDonald said the pitch was not expected to spin much, as West Indies weigh up whether to play a tweaker.

However, Australia captain Pat Cummins believes Nathan Lyon will still play a big role given his over-spin benefits from bounce.

"He's huge ... he can bowl 30 overs in the day if needed, in the heat," Cummins said.

"He takes vital wickets and can hold up an end."

In the two Tests played at the venue between its opening in 2018 and Western Australia's borders being closed due to COVID-19 from 2020, off-spinner Nathan Lyon's 14 wickets at 15.5 stands as the benchmark – albeit marginally superior to teammate Mitchell Starc's 14 at 15.86.

What makes Lyon's success even more remarkable is the fact his most potent performance came against India – acknowledged masters against spin bowling – in the stadium's inaugural Test when his returns of 5-67 and 3-39 earned him player-of-the-match honours.

"If the grass is keeping the moisture in that will mean live grass on the surface, or there might be grass that is slowly dying off – we'll just have to wait and see," said the record-breaking spinner who also worked as a curator at Adelaide Oval.

"But either way it gives me a couple of opportunities to have the ball grip a little bit on the surface here.

"So I'll be using my angles and using the crease to try and create a bit of drift and drop, and hope to take some outside edges.

"I've got fond memories of playing every time I've come here, so I'm hoping that continues."

Men's NRMA Insurance Test Series v West Indies

Nov 30 – Dec 4: First Test, Perth Stadium, 1:20pm AEDT

Dec 8-12: Second Test, Adelaide Oval, 3pm AEDT (day-night)

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner

West Indies squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Roston Chase, Joshua Da Silva, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Anderson Phillip, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Devon Thomas

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