Stalesy, could have told you about the block hole if I'd seen this earlier, but my time on the Board is now extremely limited. The entry alluded to by Uncle Bill and (indirectly) by Faldo the Great is for Bush, Frances Jemima and is a bit of a laff.
There was a period in the sixties (when I wer't a lad) when umpires disliked yorkers so much that they would get the groundsman to do something about the block hole during the lunch break. That seems to have died the death during the intervening years. Even worse is wear on the pitch from fast bowlers' feet. If you get a left-arm fast bowler who goes around the wicket, you get footstep depressions for a few feet beyond the crease. These are just made for medium-pace and slow bowlers and spinners who put up a good length. Half the time the ball will shy away from the batsman, but the other half of the time the ball can cut back in towards the wicket at a truly wicked and unpredictable angle, especially for a well-delivered seamer ...
- Pfranz
