Red stripe damper
The Sun was out in all its brilliance when the Barbados cricket team touched down at the VC Bird International Airport yesterday morning
Haydn Gill
30-Oct-1999
The Sun was out in all its brilliance when the Barbados cricket
team touched down at the VC Bird International Airport
yesterday morning.
But, by late evening, the Antigua Recreation Ground still
needed a massive clean-up operation to facilitate a prompt
start for todays Red Stripe Bowl match against the Leeward
Islands.
As the sun began to set, there were about 20 hard-working
groundsmen desperately trying to rake off plenty of grass from
the outfield.
In spite of the seemingly terrible state of the outfield,
Antigua Cricket Association president Andy Roberts said it was
a miracle that the preparations had reached this point
following the passage of Hurricane José last week.
This field was completely under water last week Friday. If you
were here, you would be like the other pundits and say no
play. I think we are fortunate.
Preparations were delayed because of further intervention of
the elements on Monday that lasted for two hours and dumped
three inches of rain in the capital.
Roberts said there was even more rain after the hurricane which
hit Antigua on October 20.
It meant that the groundstaff had to wait until midday on
Wednesday before they could start cutting grass that was
estimated to be about three inches high.
In recent years, the ARGs outfield has been lush green
following the importation of a special grass from Georgia in
the United States. The field, however, was brownish yesterday,
but Roberts said that the green should return by weekend.
Neither Barbados nor the Leewards Islands was able to get in
any batting practice yesterday because of the unavailability of
grounds with suitable pitches.
Barbados will take some comfort with the news that ace West
Indies fast bowler Curtly Ambrose has been ruled out of the
tournament with a shoulder injury, his place taken by young
Antiguan Kerry Jeremy.
Barbados omitted Hattian Graham, Horace Waldron and Ryan Hurley
from their 14 which means that allrounder Antonio Mayers will
be used as third seamer.
Teams:
Barbados: Philo Wallace (captain), Sherwin Campbell, Adrian
Griffith, Roland Holder, Floyd Reifer, Ryan Hinds, Courtney
Browne, Hendy Bryan, Winston Reid, Pedro Collins, Antonio
Mayers. Manager: Tony Howard. Coach: William Bourne.
Leeward Islands (from): Stuart Williams (captain), Wilden
Cornwall, Keith Arthurton, Dave Joseph, Sylvester Joseph,
Runako Morton, Ridley Jacobs, Colin Cannonier, Carl Tuckett,
Hamesh Anthony, Anthony Lake, Alex Adams, Goldwyn Prince, Kerry
Jeremy. Manager: Carlisle Powell. Coach: John Archibald.
Umpires: Clancy Mack (Antigua), Clive Duncan (Guyana)
Start: 9:30 a.m.