The curious case of Trent Bridge Nottingham
Twenty-twenty matches in Trent Bridge are a bit skewed in favour of the team batting first. Castrol Index analyses the International T20 matches played at the venue and throws the question what’s the best decision to take after winning the toss – bat first or bowl first?
According to Castrol Index, 56% of the matches played on the Trent Bridge pitch have been won by teams batting first. South Africa has won all its matches played on the Trent Bridge pitch.
| Trent Bridge | Batting Momentum | Average Runs Scored | Bowling Efficiency | Total Wickets |
| Batting First | 251 | 174 | 238 | 54 |
| Batting Second | 163 | 131 | 269 | 60 |
The table above reflects an interesting fact. Teams batting first have scored more runs at the cost of more wickets than teams batting second on their way to win the matches. Batting first, teams have been able to put an average of 174 runs losing at an average of 6 wickets while teams bowling second have taken an average of 6.5 wickets while scoring only 131 runs. The analysis reflects the slowness of the wicket which deteriorates within a matter of 20 overs.
South Africa would be aware of this curious nature of the pitch here as they have played twice here and won both the times. Interestingly, for South Africa, batting first or batting second matter the least. In this tournament, they have just won every match till now, batting first or second.
But for Pakistan, it is for the first time they will play on this wicket in the tournament. Pakistan plays better cricket when they bat first as reflected in the table below.
Pakistan’s Performance in 2009 ICC T20
| Pakistan | Batting Momentum | Average Runs Scored | Bowling Efficiency | Total Wickets |
| Batting First | 207 | 167 | 338 | 19 |
| Batting Second | 142 | 123 | 223 | 22 |
In view of the above, what would be skipper Younis Khan’s decision of if he wins the toss?
