WI local: Schools breaking rule

Some schools are breaching a rule in the Cable & Wireless BET Under-15 cricket competition by not providing covers.

The offending schools, however, may not be penalised as organisers seek to change the relevant rule,

'Pitches must be covered and the home team shall be responsible for the covering thereof,' says the last paragraph of Rule 9.

Investigations by Nationsport revealed that since the start of the competition on July 4, at least six of the 23 competing schools did not provide covers for their home matches.

Chairman of the tournament's organising committee Desmond Browne, however, said no complaints had been forwarded against any school.

'The weather has been so good that it has not been an issue as yet,' Browne told Nationsport yesterday.

We have to make sure that when the rain starts, there is no difficulty.

To this end, it was hoped that the rule which stipulated covers must be used would be amended to read either should or could.

'We don't want to penalise anybody who could not (provide covers) for whatever reason,' he said.

'Ideally, we hoped that everyone would have made an effort to use them.'

Two representatives of schools which have not used covers told Nationsport they were unable to do so because of the lateness of the decision.

Costs for the covers, therefore, had not been budgeted for, they said.

Browne, principal of The Lodge School, said it was not anticipated there would be problems in securing the relatively cheap plastic-type covering.

I cannot see why schools could not provide covers, given the fact that the sponsor gives cash to each school. That cost could have been absorbed with the funds given by the sponsor, he said.

The lateness should not have been a problem because it was not something that would have cost thousands. The most it should cost is $100.

Browne also pointed out that since teams were playing fewer matches, costs of lunch, umpiring and other incidental expenses would be reduced.

It is the first time in the history of a domestic cricket competition that covers have been used on a large-scale basis.

In the past, covers were only used for the final of the annual competition.

In view of the light nature of the covers, Browne said there were some reports of minor difficulties.

It is not easy to control in the wind and they may tear easily, he said.

But with the right kind of care, it could still work.

Most of the covers have also proven to be adequate. When the tournament had its first significant rainfall during the third series of matches on July 12, there was only one report of a minor seepage.