Officials denied that leaking ground equipment was to blame for delays in another rain-affected Test at the SCG…but cricket legend dismisses excuse: ‘You’d think they could have invested in some better covers’
- Officials deny leaking ground equipment to blame for Test delays at SCG
- The covers for the Sydney Cricket Ground are under fire after the leak
- Former player Isa Guha has criticized the state of ground coverage in Australia
Officials have denied that leaking wet weather covers are to blame for delays in the rain-affected Sydney Cricket Ground Test between Australia and South Africa, but an English cricket great has revealed the reason.
The SCG groundstaff reverted to using a blank set of covers on day four after a set stamped with NRMA Insurance advertising apparently caused an embarrassing leak in the wicket square.
The groundstaff were asked by Cricket Australia to use the new covers – which ironically were emblazoned with the insurance company’s tagline ‘HELP’.
Officials have denied that leaking wet weather covers are to blame for delays in the rain-affected Sydney Cricket Ground Test between Australia and South Africa, but an English cricket great has revealed the reason.
SCG groundstaff returned to using a blank set of SCG covers on day four after a set emblazoned with NRMA Insurance advertising apparently caused an embarrassing leak in the wicket square
The damage to the square was not too bad, but it is understood that the water went around the logos and made extra work for the groundstaff.
Cricket Australia and Venues NSW released a joint statement to explain what exactly happened with the sponsored covers.
The damage to the square was not too serious, but it is understood that the water went around the logos and made extra work for the groundstaff
‘The ground staff and the cricket operations team confirmed that there were no interruptions to play due to a minor leak in the covers,’ the statement read.
‘The delay in play today was caused by a small section of sodden turf outside the wicket square where water had accumulated overnight. The SCG had 56mm of rain overnight and this morning.
‘NRMA Insurance had nothing to do with the construction of the covers or the need to use them for this match and the ground staff had no issue with the new set of covers.’
Former English player Isa Guha has criticized the state of the covers used in Australia compared to England.
Former England player Isa Guha (pictured) has criticized the state of the covers used in Australia compared to England
‘For a ground of the magnitude of the MCG and as iconic as the SCG … you can imagine all the history and tradition, I was really surprised at the level of coverage at the grounds. You would think they could have invested in some better covers,’ Guha said on Fox Cricket’s broadcast of the game.
‘You have hover covers at Lord’s that come out quickly and then at the Oval it literally covers the whole ground in the square for moments like this where the bowlers are looking around at the end of the pitch where it can be dangerous. I’m a little staggered that it’s not better equipped.
Meanwhile, SCG Trust chairman Tony Shepherd insists the Sydney Test should remain in its New Year timeslot, despite being delayed by rain for six of the last seven years.
Shepherd said the SCG would not give up its timeslot for the New Year, despite admitting the La Nina weather pattern of the past two years had brought adverse weather patterns at the ground into sharper focus.
SCG Trust chairman Tony Shepherd insists the Sydney Test should remain in its New Year’s timeslot, despite being delayed by rain for six of the last seven years.
‘This is the tradition. We just have to live with the climate,’ Shepherd told SEN on Saturday.
‘We get a bit of rain here and sometimes it disrupts play, but we just have to get over it.
‘It’s going to be a good season next year because I think we’re going to have an El Nino (weather pattern) next year, which means we’re going to be in the middle of a drought.’
