Ponting upset by slack groundstaff

Ricky Ponting has criticised the groundstaff at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, after the Super Eights match between Australia and Bangladesh was delayed by standing water on the outfield. After heavy overnight rain, the start of the match was pushed back by five hours and the match reduced to 22 overs per side, after the ground's only SuperSopper broke down.

"At the end of the day, we were lucky to get a game in today," said Ponting, whose team sealed a comprehensive ten-wicket win, their fifth in a row in the tournament. "We didn't see enough hands on deck out on the ground.

"I know they had a machinery breakdown which didn't help things," added Ponting. "But I went and spoke to the umpires at one stage, and they said the groundstaff were on their lunchbreak. That was little more time that was killed."

At various stages of the day, the mopping-up operation was reduced to near farce, not least when the groundstaff attempted to soak up the water using torn-off squares of sponge. "They didn't have enough of those to dry the ground," said Ponting. "But the umpires handled it well, and we started at a sensible time when the ground was in good enough shape."