Flooded outfield drowns day one

By G. Viswanath

EAST LONDON, NOV. 10. The beach bums might have had a wonderful time on the sands on Saturday. There was not even a speck of rain all day long, instead it was all brilliant sunshine with mild winds at this seaside town. The forecast was just about perfect, but at the Buffalo Park, the conditions were not perfect for even a ball to be delivered in the four-day match between the visiting Indian team and South Africa `A' side.

When the Indian team left the ground after another committed practice session on Friday evening, everything appeared to in order for the game to start on time on Saturday. Even Sourav Ganguly, resolute not to take rest, decided to lead the side, in spite of an irritating knee. But sharp showers in the night flooded the outfield and ruined, what would have been a fine setting for a first class game of cricket.

The umpires for the match Messrs. Ian Howell and Craig Schoof decided to call of the first day's play (at 1 p.m.) after carrying out an inspection at noon and also after the Indian team arrived for the second time at 12.30 p.m. - they had spent a short time in the morning at 8.30 a.m. before returning to the hotel.

First, coach John Wright and Rahul Dravid appeared on the ground to assess the condition of the ground. A few minutes later the umpires and the captains, Ganguly and D. Benkenstein met briefly, before the match officials put an end to the suspenseful movements they endured since the time they arrived at the ground.

The damage caused by Friday night's rain to the outfield was there for all to see. The groundstaff had done excellent repair work after rains had lashed the town on Thursday, but the second spell on Friday night had diminished scope of not only play starting on time, but also made a handful of workers' job very laborious. ``It's very difficult to get the ground to fit conditions. The process of drying has to be natural. What the outfield needs is plenty of sunlight and wind. Artificial means can be put to use to an extent, but that's not the solution,'' said an official of the Border Cricket Association.

The umpires are confident that, should there be no rain on Saturday night, they can start play by 9.45 a.m, a quarter of an hour before the scheduled 10 a.m. start. It would be easy to blame the Province's inability to employ enough labourers and hence the tardy work carried out by six or seven workers. But the fact remained that Friday night's rain that lasted for four to five hours had put the authorities in a hopeless situation. With the full day's being lost, both the teams will have to look at the match afresh and as a three-day first class match.

Ganguly did not appear to be perturbed at all. ``I am disappointed, but then, what can one do, if it rains.'' The Indian captain had cancelled his visit to Kolkata to see his baby girl and also give enough time to recover from a painful knee when he was hit by a speedy delivery from Mornantau Hayward. The absence of any play today gave Ganguly time to rest his knee and take field on Sunday in better shape.

The four-day fixture against the visiting side was also to help the South African selectors form an opinion on middle order batsman Darryl Cullinan, who was not considered for the first Test. The selectors have kept the option open of including Cullinan for the Australian tour. The right hander appears to have fully recovered from his knee injury. Left hander Jacques Rudolph, who has taken centuries of the Indian and Kenyan attack this season and has sustained the form with four hundreds in the Supersport series is another batsman the South African selectors would watch closely.

South African interests

The South Africans have their own interests, especially so with a away and home series against Australia being scheduled as signature event of the summer. The South Africans have not yet beaten Australia in a Test or one-day international series since their return to the international fold.

They expect Shaun Pollock's team to challenge Australia's supremacy. Even a great fast bowler like Allan Border shares this dream with thousands of South African cricket supporters.

But a thing that should concern the Indians much from this tour is the way the itinerary is drawn up. Some how, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) appears to be adamant not to consult the coach, captain and senior players while drawing up the programmes in India and abroad. Ganguly has been captain of the Indian team since March 2000 and for two home series against Zimbabwe and Australia and three away series before this tour to South Africa.

India is scheduled to play two home series against England and Zimbabwe and two away series in the West Indies and England before next October.

He has been consulted only once by the BCCI before it approved the four Test series and Natwest Trophy series featuring England, Sri Lanka and India. The askewed programming of the series against England in India has placed a big and exacting demand on the Indian team to play the first Test at Mohali, in less than a week's time after completing their engagements in South Africa. The third Test between India and South Africa is to be played at the Centurion Park from November 23 to 27 and the first Test starts against England on December 3.

The Australians have been very smart. They come here for the reciprocal tour in mid-February and play 12 matches in major centres like Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Durban, Centurion, Bloemfontein and at Potchefstroom which is supposed to be equipped with the best floodlit facility.

The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) has a good rapport with the Australian Cricket Players Association (ACPA) and a tour programme is approved only after both the parties are satisfied. The last Australian tour to India took place only after three Australians, including the ACPA representative Tim May visited India to survey the facilities at various centres.

The former BCCI Hon. Secretary Mr, Jaywant Lele paid a short visit to Zimbabwe before the Indian team's visit there in May- July. There was no such visit undertaken by a BCCI official in connection with the South African tour.

Chatsworth turned out to be fiasco with the three day match against SA President's XI being abandoned without a ball being bowled. Already the first day's play has been lost here. It will be a tragedy should rains further impair India's preparation for the second Test.

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