The best batting pitches in Tests

Last week's column focused on the best batting surfaces in ODIs; this time the attention shifts to Test venues. The general verdict from experts is that pitches all over the world have eased up in the last few years, favouring batsmen much more than they used to. England has always offered a bit to the seam and swing bowlers, but batsmen have had more than their share of success recently. The last five Tests at Lord's have all been drawn, and while the weather has had a part to play in the last two verdicts, there have still been five scores of more than 500 here since 2005. After the first day against South Africa, England seem well on their way to another big total.

Any discussion on batting beauties will obviously include the Antigua Recreation Ground, which has been a bowler's nightmare for long. The average runs per wicket there since 2002 is an incredible 53.60. Two Ovals - the ones in Adelaide and London - have always favoured the batsmen, but in fourth place (out of the 30 venues that make the cut of having hosted five Tests since 2002) is the ground where South Africa are currently playing the first match of their four-Test series.

Over the last seven years, teams have averaged 40.17 per wicket in the 13 Tests played at Lord's, making it one of only four grounds that makes the 40-plus cut. Six of those matches have ended in stalemates, which, as mentioned earlier, is partly explained by the wet weather. (Adelaide has a higher average but has also produced five result games out of six.)

Most batsman-friendly Test venues since 2002 (Qual: at least five Tests)

Venue	Tests	Decisive results	Draws	Runs per wkt	Runs per over
St John's Antigua	5	1	4	53.60	3.21
The Oval	6	2	4	43.15	3.59
Adelaide Oval	6	5	1	41.69	3.28
Lord's	13	7	6	40.17	3.48
Gaddafi Stadium Lahore	8	6	2	39.74	3.50
Sydney Cricket Ground	9	8	1	39.39	3.63
Brisbane Cricket Ground	6	5	1	38.76	3.52
Headingley Leeds	5	5	0	36.71	3.57
SSC Colombo	9	7	2	36.57	3.22
WACA Ground Perth	6	5	1	35.70	3.50

England's batsmen all have excellent stats at Lord's - going into the Test against South Africa, the top six all averaged more than 50 here. Clearly they love the conditions here, especially the fact that the true pitch allows them to go on and compile big scores more often than not when they get a start. In the 13 Tests here since 2002, 38 centuries and 68 half-centuries have been scored (excluding the ongoing Test), which translates into more than eight 50-plus scores per Test. The only venue that has a higher rate is Antigua.

England have scored the bulk of those high scores, with 28 centuries and 29 fifties during this period, which converts into more than two hundreds per Test. The Oval is the only other venue with eight 50-plus scores per match.

Graeme Smith had the misfortune of watching England's openers pile on more than 100 after he put them in to bat. The only other time this had happened - opposition openers putting together a century partnership immediately after being put in - at Lord's was more than 24 years ago. England were the beneficiaries then as well, but their opposition was a rather unlikely one - a West Indian team in their pomp. Chris Broad and Graeme Fowler added 101 after being put in, against an attack that included Joel Garner and Malcolm Marshall (and a not-as-intimidating Milton Small), but that was as good as it got for England, who fell for 286 in their first innings, and eventually lost by nine wickets on the back of an outstanding double-century by Gordon Greenidge.

Overall, Chennai, Antigua and Mohali have been the best venues for openers, but Lord's has been kind to them as well: the average opening partnership here is 49.71, with 16 50-plus stands out of 47.

South Africa were probably justified in choosing to bowl after winning the toss - England would probably have done the same - but one look at recent stats would have told Smith that England have made a habit of piling up huge scores in the first innings of a Lord's Test. Out of the last four times when they've batted first in a match here, they've gone on to top 500 three times. And they might well do it again against South Africa.

Antigua tops the list in terms of first-innings averages - no surprises there - but Headingley is a surprise at No. 2. Lord's slots in at No. 7, with an average of 43.61 runs per wicket in first innings.

All of which brings us to the lot of the hapless fast bowlers. Antigua obviously isn't much fun for them - Jermaine Lawson is the only one with a five-wicket haul there in the last five Tests - but the two venues in London haven't been a fast bowler's paradise either. At Lord's pace bowlers have conceded more than 38 runs per wicket. The only one to take a ten-wicket haul here in the last 13 Tests has been Makhaya Ntini, who took 10 for 220 in a match-winning performance in 2003. South Africa wouldn't mind an encore.