WHEN LEE LEFT ME GRIPPED BYFEARAT THE WACA
Two years ago I spent some time with the Afghanistan cricket team in Perth. They were in town to practise at the WACA ahead of the 2015 World Cup. The players I talked to had never been to Perth and knew little of the city. But they all seemingly had a lump in their throat when talking about the iconic Western Australian Cricket Association Ground, simply known universally as the WACA.
Some of the Afghan players had never even seen a WACA match on television, but you could tell by their quivering voices and glint in the eyes that they were well aware of the ground’s lore. There was a dose of trepidation as they talked about how they would fare against the steepling bounce conjured from this famed pitch. A fusion of excitement, awe and apprehension was evident in their voices.
Thinking back to those discussions with the Afghan players, it is evident that the WACA’s aura has taken on a life of its own. It dawned on me that no other ground holds such apprehension for visiting players and that’s what makes watching cricket at the WACA so compelling.
Despite only hosting Tests for fewer than 50 years – the WACA’s first was during the 1970-71 Ashes – few grounds boast as many indelible moments. It is quite fitting to take a trip down memory lane as next week’s first Test against South Africa could well be the last marquee fixture at the WACA.
Major internationals and Big Bash matches will be moved to the new Perth Stadium, which is expected to hold about 60,000 spectators. The Ashes Test in late 2017 is set to be one of the first sports events at the new stadium, which is situated in Burswood and close proximity to Perth’s only casino.
Test matches not featuring England, South Africa and India are still expected to be played at the WACA, so, too, are Sheffield Shield matches. But the WACA as we know it, as the home of WA cricket, will be changed forever as spectators gravitate towards the sleeker and more comfortable Perth Stadium. At least we’ve got a treasure trove of memories. Some of cricket’s most visceral images have been spawned from this mythical pitch initially conjured by former curator Roy Abbott, who for 33 years fed it the seemingly magical Harvey-Waroona soil.
It was always captivating seeing the sight of athletic pacemen, bounding into the crease off long run-ups. One always felt for batsmen who risked their limbs, and lives, facing hostile bowling. You could always sense something beguiling was set to happen just by looking at the comical sight of a wicket-keeper planted halfway towards the boundary, reinforced by a plethora of catchers.
The West Indies with their bevy of intimidating pacemen were impregnable at the WACA during their heyday
Cricket was at its rawest at the WACA, resulting in players being probed both physically and mentally like never before. For international players, the WACA was considered the barometer of the Australian tour.
Those that succeeded, their memorable feats were etched in folklore for eternity like Roy Fredericks’ stunning counter punch against Lillee and Thomson in 1975, or Sachin Tendulkar’s century as an 18-year-old to confirm his innate greatness. India’s win there to halt Australia’s 16-Test winning streak in 2008 is arguably their best abroad this millennium.
Apart from having to endure its uncomfortable innards, spectators relished being at the WACA because they had a front row seat to the madness out in the middle.
Even innocuous trundlers seemed to be able to extricate sharp bounce. I will never forget watching Brett Lee for the first time at the ground in late 1999. There was a swirl of anticipation as he was a rising star and on the cusp of piercing Australia’s powerhouse team at the time.
Western Australia were the two-time defending Sheffield Shield champions and the match was essentially a national trial for Lee ahead of the Boxing Day Test match against India. On the last day of the match,WA were routed by Lee who bowled Justin Langer, bounced out Adam Gilchrist and sent veteran paceman Jo Angel to hospital with a broken arm. Angel could consider himself lucky that something far worse didn’t happen.
I was only a teenager at the time, and back then my mates and I used to half-heartedly watch the play while engaging in some bat and ball action of our own on the grass banks. But none of us were mucking around that afternoon. We were fixated on Lee’s wrath. I remember trying to squint closely because I actually couldn’t see the ball. It was possibly there and then that I decided to shelve any ambition to be a professional batsman. I’ve been to plenty of Australian Rules football matches throughout the years, but I don’t think I’ve felt fear for what was unfolding in front of me quite like that day.
Intriguingly, the WACA was far from a fortress for Australia over the years. Sure, they usually obliterated the hapless English and the bewildered teams from the Sub-continent, but Australia have been on the other end of the stick, too.
The West Indies with their bevy of intimidating pacemen were impregnable at the WACA during their heyday, and South Africa, armed with the brilliance of Dale Steyn, have won their past two Tests at the ground.
It was often tough going for batsmen, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t cash in. Bowlers straining for bounce often leaked runs, as those willing to attack with cross-bat shots scored quickly. “If you see out the first 30-minute adjustment phase, it suddenly transforms into the flattest batting track of them all,” Steve Waugh once wrote.
Accordingly, the WACA’s pitch has lacked some sizzle at times during the past decade and transformed into a laborious batting goldmine. This was evident last year when New Zealand and Australia scored about one million runs between them in possibly the dullest match ever at the WACA. It was little wonder Mitchell Johnson retired in the aftermath of the Test.
WACA curator Matt Page is believed to be trying to conjure a throwback pitch in a bid to satisfy public demand. With the likelihood of the WACA Test now being played intermittently, let’s hope Page can recreate that old magic.
Whatever eventuates, this is undoubtedly the beginning of the end for the WACA as we know it. But during the Test starting on November 3, maybe, just maybe, there will be a few more memorable images to add to the old warhorse’s treasure trove.