PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Test captain Jason Holder says the standard of regional pitches needs to improve if teams are to produce more attractive cricket.
The 24-year-old, also the Barbados Pride skipper, said scores in the ongoing Regional Super50 had been low because pitches were slow and turning, and not conducive to good stroke-play.
“It’s been tough. Obviously the scores are not what we’ve been accustomed to in one-day cricket and I think that’s been due to the slow pitches,” Holder said.
“I’ve found it very difficult so far batting in this tournament in the middle overs especially, and trying to get the ball off the square. I think spinners are dominating it and that’s because the ball has spun quite early and quite sharply.
“I just think we need to work a little bit more on improving our pitches and … stroke-play and the viewing of the cricket would be a lot better.”
The highest total of the tournament has been Jamaica Scorpions’ 260 against minnows ICC Americas at the Sir Frank Worrell ground at St Augustine here in the second round, Group A contest.
In Group B played in St Kitts, the highest total there was 255 by Guyana Jaguars in the final round, when they chased down a competitive total set by Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners.
Across both groups, there have been 14 totals under 200 runs with four of these coming at Queen’s Park Oval, and Holder said the par score at the tournament’s premier venue would be quite small.
“It’s been a tough pitch. The games I’ve seen here and have played here have been tough going in terms of batting so you have to be very sharp in the field in terms of restricting opposition under 200 runs. I think 200, 210 is probably a par score on this track.”
