Crumbs in the Cake Tin

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Wellington

A cake tin is only as good as what’s inside. At 3am on Thursday (SA time), when SA and the United Arab Emirates meet at what is officially Wellington Regional Stadium, what the suits would prefer us to call Westpac Stadium, and what the locals refer to as “The Cake Tin”, there is unlikely to be much inside.

Not much of a crowd, for a start. And not much reason to play the match considering SA are already in the quarter-finals and the Emirates have one foot on the plane home. In a ruthlessly modern stadium with a capacity of 37 000, that translates into minimal atmosphere.

The venue has hosted 25 one-day internationals since it was opened in 2000 as a replacement for dear, old, decrepit Athletic Park.

Seven totals of more than 300 have been compiled there, two of them in the World Cup match between England and Sri Lanka on March 1 - in which the Lankans lost just one wicket in chasing down 310.

The same game produced three of the eight centuries scored at the stadium. AB de Villiers’ run-a-ball 106 not out against New Zealand in February, 2012 is also on the list. The fact that De Villiers hit only three fours and four sixes in that innings tells us this is a venue made less for big hitting than for quality strokeplay and intelligent running between the wickets.

England were also on the receiving end of the best bowling performance yet seen at The Cake Tin, the 7/33 that Tim Southee took for New Zealand on February 16. Southee bowled four of his victims with wickedly swinging deliveries.

Cake Tin ODIs - 25 (January, 2000 - March, 2015):

Highest total: 322/5 (Australia v New Zealand - December 7, 2005)

Lowest total: 89 (England v New Zealand - February 16, 2002)

Highest score: Andrew Symonds 156 (Australia v New Zealand - December 7, 2005)

Best bowling: Tim Southee 7/33 (New Zealand v England - February 20, 2015)