Cricket pitch turns to jelly
As England prepare for another monumental season, Edgbaston’s groundsman Steve Rouse is having a bit of a disaster. It seems that a fortnight of heavy rain has put back the preparations of the venue’s Test pitch for the second time in four years.
“It’s a nightmare,” Rouse told BBC Sport in a recent interview. “Out of the last ten days, there have been two actual dry days, and the wicket is a bit like a jelly. I’ve got to dry that out between now and next Wednesday, because the wicket has to be ready roughly a day in advance, and the chances of getting that solid three or four inches down, there’s no chance, not with the weather coming in.”
This isn’t the first time such a thing has occurred. England is known for its wet summers and in 2005 Rouse was also left mopping up the puddles when a freak tornado ripped through Birmingham during the build-up to the second Test, leaving behind three inches of rainfall.
That time the pitch was already four days behind in its preparation time and ended up playing slow. However, England still went on to win by two runs on the fourth morning.
Thanks to cricinfo.com for the above quotes, for more information on this article please visit their website
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