Oval pitch defended
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/4319084a6429.html
Dunedin's University Oval is expected to remain as the first test venue against Bangladesh in early January.
A decision is expected from New Zealand Cricket today on the issue after a State Championship match there between Otago and Auckland finished in under two days last week.
Turf experts have been working with the new groundsman to ensure there would be no repeat of the abbreviated encounter in the high-profile five-day test -- Otago's first for a decade.
Otago captain Craig Cumming said there had been a lot of ill-informed comment about the pitch. "It was on the fresh side, probably a day early from being ready, and overhead conditions contributed to that," Cumming said.
"
To be fair the wicket has played inconsistently there since it started about four years ago but I believe progress is being made as it consolidates."
The wicket block is comprised of Kakanui soil, which formed the base of some excellent wickets at Carisbrook, when it was the headquarters of Otago cricket.
If New Zealand Cricket took the game away from Dunedin finding an alternative at short notice would be challenging with the season schedule under way but not impossible.