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Both teams disappointed as first day washed out
Assad Fudadin
No play expected on day two despite sunshine
By Sean Devers
Both teams expressed disappointment yesterday after the opening day of the Guyana/Leeward Islands second round Regional Four-Day cricket encounter was washed out at a waterlogged Bourda.
With prospects of play on the second day today is almost non-existent despite glorious sunshine yesterday. New Guyana Captain Assad Fudadin said that his players are very disappointed that they were unable to play any cricket after their first round loss against Jamaica since they were looking to get some ‘positive’ points from this game.
Both teams lost their opening games but while the Islanders arrived in South America without a point, the Guyanese are on four points after taking first innings points in Jamaica and a washed out game here will give both teams just three points each.
“We have home advantage and we were looking forward to doing well in familiar conditions which we know more than them (Leewards). We want to play but there is nothing we can do about Gods work. It is frustrating to see a ground full of water but the team is in high spirits and still hopeful of some cricket, maybe from Sunday afternoon,” Fudadin said.
The West Indies ‘A’ team left-hander informed that his players are doing training sessions in the mornings at the National Gymnasium in Georgetown and practicing in the afternoon at the indoor facility at the Chetram Singh Centre of Excellence at LBI.
“If we can get some play by Sunday afternoon we will try and get first innings points to keep us in the race for the title. The good thing is that this is only the second match of the competition and our next game is in St Vincent where we will be pressing for a win,” Fudadin added.
While only the pitch was visible on Thursday evening due to persistent rain, by yesterday afternoon the water had receded to just about 10 meters from the boundary although the outfield remained soggy and the pitch, which was covered, soaked.
The Umpires (Clyde Duncan, Vincent Bullen and Colin Alfred) called off action on the first day well before lunch yesterday and only the Leewards team turned up at the venue.
Duncan said that while they (Umpires) will have to wait until today to call off the second day’s play, it was unlikely that there could be play before tomorrow due to the condition of the ground.
Duncan opined that two days of sun is needed for play to be possible on the third day while the ground staff explained that the amount of water in the canals which surround the ground was affecting the drying process.
Georgetown is four feet below sea level at high tide and the Dutch built Kokers which drain the city, can only be opened at low tide.
It was explained that a section of the canal outside the ground would have to be blocked if a pump is installed to get the water off the ground and into the North Road Canal.
Leewards Manager Percy Daniels informed that his team was hoping to rebound with some points against Guyana after their loss to the England Lions, adding that with the amount of water on the ground and the weather forecast he was not too confident of any play before Monday.
“We are hoping to get some sessions at the indoor facility but if there is more rain tonight (Friday night) and the ground is again flooded, it would better serve our interest to leave for Antigua where we play our next game early to have a few turf sessions there instead of being kept indoors here until Tuesday,” Daniels opined.
The Umpires cannot call of the match unless they have exhausted all possibilities of making play possible and the players can expect another day without a ball being bowled on Saturday, the second day of the match.
The Guyana National Stadium, arguable the fastest drying International cricket ground in the Region, was unavailable due to another event there this weekend.
Albion in Berbice, the other ground to be used in this year’s tournament, is being prepared for the final round game and is not yet ready to host a First-Class match this season.
First day scores in the other matches:
Barbados 276 for 2 against England Lions
Jamaica 177 for 6 against Windward Islands
Trinidad & Tobago 40 for 2 in reply to Combined Campuses and Colleges 131 all out 1st innings
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