The jewel in the crown for the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s American dream for this World Cup is the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.
There is no doubt the sparkling ground set in the tranquil surrounds of leafy Eisenhower Park, named after the 34th US president, is an eye-catching construction. Albeit a temporary one.
To have pulled everything together in a short timeframe for the tournament is a commendable achievement as the ICC takes steps to popularise the game in the United States.
A crowd of 12,562 watched a historic first World Cup game in New York and, despite the intense security presence, fans – most of whom were from the Sri Lanka diaspora – reported few issues gaining entry.
Rarely were those supporters roused to their feet by what they saw in the middle, though, in what was a spectacle lacking the kind of dazzling strokeplay that could prick the interest of any potential converts to the game.
The largely ponderous nature of the contest has inevitably placed scrutiny on the drop-in pitches being used for the eight fixtures being played here.
They were grown in Australia and brought over by ship to Florida before being transported by truck and bedded in by Adelaide Oval groundperson Damian Hough and his team.
Hough said he had “no fears” about them in advance of the tournament and was hoping for fast and bouncy pitches, but this one was two-paced.
ICC officials were also bragging about the size of the ground before the tournament, but batters could not generate the power to clear the ropes. Pulling the boundaries in might aid matters.
Angelo Mathews hit two sixes but he was one of five Sri Lanka batters who perished caught in the deep. South Africa matched Sri Lanka’s total of three maximums.
By comparison there were 21 sixes in the opener between the USA and Canada in Dallas, where there is a natural turf pitch prepared on site.
There was also inconsistent bounce with Mathews, trundling in at the age of 37 and bowling mid-70mph, getting one to climb off the pitch and hit Aiden Markram in his groin.
A few overs later, Nuwan Thushara and Dasun Shanaka saw deliveries skid through at ankle height.
The slow outfield was not conducive to scoring either. That’s not to take away from the bowlers – Nortje’s control of length was impressive.
It’s still early days for cricket’s New York fairy-tale, but with India against Pakistan here on Sunday, the worry is the biggest game in world cricket might be affected by a stinker of a pitch.
