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Pink balls offer bowlers hope: O'Keefe

Australian spinner Stephen O'Keefe says the inaugural day-night Test match with pink balls at Adelaide Oval will produce a result.

Stephen O'Keefe
The inaugural day-night Test match with pink balls will produce a result, Stephen O'Keefe says. (AAP)

The inaugural day-night Test match with pink balls will close the gap between bat and ball, Australian spinner Stephen O'Keefe says.

O'Keefe has no doubt the historic Test between Australia and New Zealand starting Friday at Adelaide Oval will produce a result.

He predicts batsmen will find it harder to score runs and bowlers will swing, seam and spin the pink balls.

"In my opinion this is the best ground to play with the pink ball," O'Keefe told reporters at Adelaide Oval on Monday.

"I think that is a result wicket out there, without a doubt.

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"For guys to make runs, I think it's going to be significantly harder than what we have seen in the last two Tests.

"However Steve Smith and Kane Williamson and the like, who are really quality players, I'm sure whatever you throw at them they have got a plan to counteract and make big runs."

NSW tweaker O'Keefe has taken 18 wickets in three pink-ball Sheffield Shield games at Adelaide Oval, the most recent late last month when groundsman Damian Hough left more grass on the pitch to protect the experimental ball.

"The ball will nip around a fair bit with that extra grass coverage," O'Keefe said.

"With the pink ball, due to its characteristics, it swing a lot as well so I think that will be prevalent the whole game.

"And it also spun from ball one - it was even turn, it wasn't drastic, but here in the past generally you would have to wait for the wicket to slow up or break to get that spin.

"It had a bit more of that extra grab because of the thatchy grass, it was a little bit different to what I'm used to.

"You combine that with playing under lights, it's a completely different Adelaide Oval to when you're playing during the day."


2 min read

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Source: AAP



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