Wednesday 15 August, 2001

Male or female, you wouldn't pick up this Headingley Test pitch in your local nightclub, because it looks as ugly as a baby eagle.

Being a happily married father of three, I personally wouldn't be looking to pick up anything in a nightclub, regardless of looks, but I am sure you get the message.

The appearance of the surface for this fourth Ashes Test isn't like you would expect from an Adelaide Oval wicket, which usually fills your body with adrenaline and expectation for the following five days.

The pitch is dry and grey at both ends, with a mixture of thick green grass and areas of bald spots and small surface cracks.

It would be fair to assume that greater cricket brains than mine are scratching their heads, trying to predict the way she will play.

To a degree, it is less of a concern to us how the pitch will ultimately react over the next five days.

We are in the enviable position of hosting three world-class fast bowlers, with one of the greatest ever leg spinners helping them out from the other end.

Regardless of how the pitch plays, we have every avenue covered in attacking the England batsmen.

If it spins like I would predict, then 'Warney' could find himself first past the 400 mark for Australia - he is just five wickets away.

He is an awesome prospect on any pitch, let alone one that is dry, dusty and taking spin.

However, if she plays like a traditional fast and bouncy Headingley pitch, then McGrath, Gillespie and Lee could be as difficult to the English batsmen as algebra is to a 10-year-old.

Baby eagle

Experience tells me that predicting a pitch is never as easy as it always appears.

Regardless of the conditions, both teams must adapt and play their toughest Test match cricket.

The body language of the England players was interesting on Tuesday when they first walked out to view the pitch.

There appeared to be plenty of head shaking and chin scratching when the baby eagle was unveiled to the world.

Their reaction summed up the general atmosphere of the prepared pitch, and they now have the dilemma of whether to play Robert Croft or go for their preferred option of playing four 'quicks'.

Unfortunately for the England selectors, 'Crofty' has not been as destructive as Shane Warne, so they will be caught between game plans.

This can only be good for us.

But regardless of selections, conditions or any pre-game speculations, the execution of the game plan is the only important factor after the first ball has been delivered in the morning.