Top 5 pitch curators of the 21st century

#4 Brett Sipthorpe - Basin Reserve (Wellington)

The pitch at Basin Reserve has grass on the first two days.

Best Known for - Preparing good Test wickets helpful for fast bowlers in the first half and for batsmen and spinners in the second half.

Basin Reserve is the oldest cricket stadium in New Zealand and Brett Sipthorpe was its curator for over nine years (2006-2015). Along with the Basin Reserve stadium, Sipthorpe also curated the pitches at the Westpac stadium in Wellington.

When it comes to preparing pitches for Test matches, Sipthorpe is a genius. The tracks prepared by him generally had grass covering on day one and two of the Test match, giving the bowlers a slight edge. Day three onwards, the wickets use to flatten out gradually, bringing the batsmen into the picture.

Such beautifully constructed pitches always ensured a thrilling contest. An average 1st and 2nd innings total of around 300 runs indicates tough batting conditions in the first of half of the Test match.

Brett Sipthorpe is a versatile individual. During his tenure at the Basin Reserve and Westpac, he was also in charge of preparing the multipurpose Westpac stadium for Rugby games.