MCG wicket ready for Boxing Day Test, says curator David Sandurski Roll on: MCC curator David Sandurski. The man in charge of the pitch for the Boxing Day Test knows there is a certain amount of pressure that comes with the job. "There's definitely pressure to get it right with 90,000-odd turning up," said Melbourne Cricket Club curator David Sandurski. They want to see a good contest and obviously I control a lot of that with the wicket I produce. That's something I'm fully aware of. I just approach it like any other game and try to make the best wicket I possibly can. The showers that swept over Melbourne on Monday might make batting trickier against the new ball on Boxing Day, but Sandurski is confident his early preparation and a forecast of fine weather will make for a fair pitch. "We started a couple of days early because we knew this was a chance of happening," he said. About three days before the Big Bash [game on Friday night] we got onto the wicket and gave it about three good days of rolling. We got ourselves ahead of the game a bit. It's not ideal, but we're still in a good position. I'm aiming for a wicket that's got a bit in it for the bowlers, a bit of pace and bounce for them, but that also helps the batters - the ball comes onto the bat so they can play their shots - and hopefully some spin on day four and five. Obviously the more rain there is around, there can be more in it. But we started a couple of days earlier so we can get ourselves into a good position for it not to be too spicy. Sandurski, whose ground staff spent much of Monday morning pulling covers on and off the Test pitch and the practice wickets, was curator at Allan Border Field in Queensland before he joined the MCC, and is getting ready for his second Boxing Day Test. He knew when he took on the role that his festive season would be consumed by work. "Christmas Day we'll be here minimum from 7:30[am] to four o'clock; this year with the rain we may have to stay back a fair bit later on Christmas Day to make sure it's spot on," he said. Once the first over is away and you realise the wicket's bouncing, it makes you a lot happier. If the weather's fine, we can sit back and enjoy it.