Beware running between the wickets at Marvel
Are things really as bad as commentators make them out to be?
IMAGE: Perth Scorchers import Keaton Jennings in run out by Mackenzie Harvey after getting his bat caught in the ground (FOX Cricket)
Whenever the Melbourne Renegades play at Marvel Stadium, the commentators always mention the number of times batters get run out in the Docklands stadium – particularly if they don’t have a lot of experience playing at the ground.
The reason for these runouts, according to the commentators, is that the grass that runs alongside the two drop-in pitches is different (i.e., longer/thicker) compared to the rest of the turf. This means shots that are hit into the turf don’t carry on as fast as they would at other grounds.
(For a more in-depth explanation of how the pitches and practice wickets are prepared and installed at Marvel, check out this article from the Australia Turfgrass Management Journal.)
But are there really that many more run outs at Marvel compared to other grounds, or are the commentators taking creative liberties?