Northcote will play Melbourne University in a one-day game today on the turf wicket at Avery’s Paddock.

Hard-working Port Fairy Cricket Club curator Bob Dwyer has produced a wicket worthy of the big occasion.

Dwyer has been the club’s resident curator for the past six years and brings with him the experience of working at the Port Fairy Golf Club for 18 years.

Dwyer began work on the wicket a fortnight ago and is happy with how it has come up.

“It is the first wicket of the year so you never really know how it will play,” Dwyer said.

“But going on the same time last year I think it will be a good wicket. 

“It will probably have that little bit of tennis ball bounce. It is nice and hard and I have left a little bit of grass on it.”

Dwyer said he had rolled the pitch on a daily basis, as well as doing some grass cutting.

He said the weather had been kind with no heavy rain, meaning he had not had to resort to putting covers on the wicket.

Avery’s Paddock was a obvious choice to host the Victorian Premier Cricket game, as it is one of the few grounds in the district that does not have football played on it.

The ground also has outstanding facilities, featuring two-storey clubrooms with views facing on to both Avery’s Paddock and the hard wicket on Colledge Oval which will host Port Fairy’s division one and two Twenty20 games today.

“It is a big help not having football played on the ground. It certainly does allow us to get the wicket ready earlier than other grounds,” Dwyer said.

“When you look at the grounds that do have football on them, it is a huge effort for those clubs to get the wickets ready for play as soon as they do.”