City has turf wickets in terrific shape for Southern Smash T20 tournament

Extra preparation has been done by City of Albany staff to ensure the high-calibre list of players for this year’s Southern Smash will get the best facilities possible to showcase their skills.

Three turf wickets in the Centennial Park sporting precinct will play host to the 2020 Southern Smash, which has attracted a number of former State cricketers and World Cup-winning spinner Brad Hogg.

The Southern Smash is regional WA’s premier Twenty20 competition, comprising players from across the State in six franchise teams.

An extra week of work has been completed on the turf pitches and ovals on which games will be played during the three-day spectacular.

City of Albany turf specialist Brett Wolfe said the wickets would be conducive to Twenty20 cricket and showcase the precinct’s terrific facilities.

“We started our preparation a week early, so they will have two weeks work instead of one,” Wolfe said. “The weather has been kind and we want them to be nice and hard, flat tracks to provide exciting cricket.

“I think it’s great for the whole town. The boys organising this have done a great job to find a time in the calendar that works.

“We are able to show off the great facilities we have on offer to the top-level cricketers.”

Wolfe said the main day for preparing the three grounds would be on Sunday, with smaller remedial work to be undertaken on the two main days of the tournament, Monday and Tuesday.

“Sunday will be our main day, mark the ovals and do the last of our prep work,” he said.

“Then first thing on Monday we will mow and roll the pitches and then on the final day do mow, roll, sweep and re-mark them.”