Raynor promises Test-standard surface

Clayton Raynor claims that he has produced a batting crease for Cup Match at Wellington Oval that “has a lot in store for everyone”.

The 69-year-old groundsman has invested countless hours out in the middle preparing a greentop of a standard he says is on par with batting creases in places such as England and Australia.

“This wicket has a lot in store for everybody,” said Raynor, whose late father, Harley, introduced turf wickets to Bermuda in the 1970s.

“This year I made Neil Paynter [St George’s president] spend more money on water, fertiliser and everything else that I wanted. He gave me what I wanted, and so I’m going to give Bermuda a chance to see something they see in Australia and England — a nice, grassy wicket that will play.

“I will bet my last dollar on what I do and I can tell you right now you will think you were in England watching a game — the result is on the wall.”

Raynor was encouraged by the way the pitch played during St George’s final trial.

“I was happy with the way the wicket played in the Cup Match trial,” he added. “It lived up to my expectations. Anybody who played on that wicket is looking forward to coming back again.

“We are going to have a lovely morning here [tomorrow] and we could see either Somerset or St George’s, if they don’t put their foot down and bat, back in the pavilion.

“We have two wickets other than the one that they are going to play on and, while they are an imitation of the one for Cup Match, it’s a combination of all three wickets.

“The Cup Match wicket has been better prepared than the other two together, and I know I can put my money on what I say.”

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