Chittagong pitch rated “below average”

The Chittagong Test pitch which recently hosted the first Test match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka has been rated below average by the ICC (International Cricket Council) following a high-scoring draw.

New Delhi: The Chittagong Test pitch which recently hosted the first Test match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka has been rated below average by the ICC (International Cricket Council) following a high-scoring draw.

The pitch has also received one demerit point according to the pitch and outfield monitoring process.

The demerit point will remain active for a rolling five- year period and if during this five-year period the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium reaches the threshold of five demerit points, then it will be banned from staging any international cricket match for 12 months.

"The pitch provided no seam movement to the fast bowlers with the new ball and also lacked carry and bounce throughout the match. The pitch did offer occasional slow turn for the spinners early on, but it did not deteriorate as much as would have been expected as the match progressed, resulting in a pitch that too heavily favoured the batsmen across the five days,” said David Boon, Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees.

A total of five centuries and six-half centuries were scored in the match with Bangladesh posting 513 and 307/5, and Sri Lanka scored a mammoth 713 for nine(declared).