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Cricket NSW against drop-in pitches at SCG

A move to use drop-in pitches at the SCG is being vetoed by Cricket NSW

Cricket NSW is opposing moves to use drop-in pitches at the SCG, fearing it will result in boring cricket which will turn off spectators.

The Sydney Cricket Ground Trust, at the behest of the AFL, has formed a committee to consider drop-in pitches at the venue which has hosted Test cricket since 1882.

"The move to a drop-in wicket with lifeless uniformity will create the risk of boring cricket," Cricket NSW's submission to the committee says.

AFL club Sydney, which uses the SCG as its home ground, has lobbied for the removal of the traditional pitch area at the historic ground.

The Swans' stance is being backed by the AFL, which has asked the SCG Trust to examine the possibility.

Drop-in pitches are used at all Australian Test cricket venues except the SCG and Brisbane's Gabba ground.

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But Cricket NSW's chief executive Lee Germon's submission to the committee argued the case against drop-in pitches was compelling.

Germon's submission said drop-in pitches risked cricket at the ground becoming "unattractive", with the venue losing its renowned characteristic of being spin-friendly.

"Having a diverse range of pitches at different venues in Australia has been an integral part of Australian cricket for more than a hundred years," the submission said.

"It has contributed to the success of the national team and continues to be a major component of producing world class players.

"Cricket NSW wants our best cricketers to still be able to experience a range of quality pitches at Test venues which display their own characteristics.

"Natural deterioration tests the full range of a cricketer's skill during the course of a match and makes each day an absorbing contest of its own which encourages the delightful art of spin bowling later in the game."

The Trust committee was yet to outline a timeframe for a decision on the future of the SCG pitch.