New York’s Tough Pitches Test Batters at T20 World Cup 2024

After eight matches in the T20 World Cup 2024 held at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, teams are likely feeling a sense of relief as they anticipate more batter-friendly conditions ahead. This venue hosted Group A and Group D games, with India and South Africa playing the most, each with three matches.

The drop-in pitches, initially prepared in Adelaide and later moved from Florida to New York, proved to be challenging for the batsmen. Despite some close contests, the pace-friendly wickets with their erratic bounce didn’t offer much for the batters, resulting in an average first innings score of just 108 and 111 being the highest successful chase, achieved by India against the USA.

Looking at overall T20I statistics, the New York stadium ranks as the second worst for batters in terms of scoring rate. The highest total posted here was 137, the lowest among all venues that have hosted at least eight T20Is.

Lowest Average Runs Per Wicket at a Venue in T20Is (Min. 8 Matches)

Only one warm-up game, between India and Bangladesh, took place at Nassau County before the tournament began, showing early promise. Despite initial struggles, India managed to score 182, suggesting a competitive pitch. However, during the main event, the batters found no respite as quick bowlers dominated.

The tournament started with South Africa bowling Sri Lanka out for 77, who then chased down the target in 16.2 overs despite some hiccups. India bundled out Ireland for 96, reaching the target in 12.2 overs after a shaky start. The match between Canada and Ireland saw the highest collective team score of 262, occurring after the ICC acknowledged that the pitches were subpar.

The ICC stated in a release, “T20 Inc. and the ICC recognise that the pitches at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium have not played as consistently as desired. The grounds team has been working hard to improve the surfaces for the remaining matches.”

Nevertheless, the pattern of low-scoring matches persisted. The Netherlands managed 103 but pushed South Africa close, who took 18.5 overs to reach the target. In a marquee clash, India defended 119 against Pakistan, and South Africa defended 113 against the same team. Canada’s 106 was chased down by Pakistan in 17.3 overs, and the final game saw India securing a win over the USA in another low-scoring affair.

India’s 111 runs in the second innings was the joint second-lowest highest successful chase at a venue with at least five run-chases. The New York venue, set to be dismantled soon, also recorded the second lowest run-rate in successful chases (Min. 5 chases).

Lowest, Highest Successful Chases in T20Is (Min. 5 Chases)

The Nassau County stadium also saw the lowest totals successfully defended in T20 World Cup history, with the South Africa-Bangladesh game and the India-Pakistan match being notable examples.

Lowest Totals Successfully Defended in T20 World Cups

During this T20 World Cup, five individual fifty-plus scores were recorded at Nassau County, the joint lowest with four other venues that have hosted at least eight matches. Three of these fifty-plus scores ranked among the slowest in T20I history.

Slowest Fifties in the T20 World Cup

Even spinners found it difficult to excel in New York. They took only 15 wickets in total, with Keshav Maharaj and Axar Patel claiming eight of those, Maharaj being the standout with figures of 3-27. In contrast, fast bowlers thrived, capturing 82 wickets, including three four-wicket hauls by Anrich Nortje, Arshdeep Singh, and Ottneil Baartman, and several three-wicket hauls by pacers like Jasprit Bumrah, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, and Hardik Pandya.

Nortje emerged as the leading wicket-taker in New York, with eight wickets at an average of 5.37 and an economy rate of 3.58, the best among bowlers who played at least three matches and took five or more wickets at a single venue. Following him were Baartman (Avg: 9.40, Eco: 3.91) and Bumrah (Avg: 9.00, Eco: 4.09).

As the tournament moves on, teams and players look forward to leaving behind the challenging conditions of New York and performing on more batter-friendly pitches.