Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada   

Ranji match: first day’s play washed out

Tamil Nadu Ranji cricket captain Dinesh Kaarthick and his Andhra counterpart Y. Gnaneswara Rao finally decide to cancel the day’s play on Saturday in Vijayawada. Umpires K.N. Ananthapadmanabhan (white shirt) and B. Ajith Kumar are in picture.

VIJAYAWADA: Despite relentless efforts made by the groundsmen of Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation stadium, the first day’s play of Ranji match between Andhra and Tamil Nadu had to be called off on Saturday after the outfield remained damp.

Though the rain god showed mercy by not lashing the city during the day, the overnight downpour rendered some parts of the outfield slushy, forcing the umpires K.N. Ananthapadmanabhan and B. Ajith Kumar to call off the play.

The day witnessed a flurry of activities, with Krishna District Cricket Association members and a dozen groundsmen carrying out mopping up operations to squeeze moist out of the huge patch at the pavilion end, but in vain.

The patch sprung up during the junior national athletic championship held last year while conducting the javelin event. Also, during the last couple of months, a good number of political and social events were held at the stadium, disturbing the outfield to a considerable extend. “The ground was handed over to us by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation just a few days ago. We hardly had time,” said a KDCA member.

Dozens of gunny bags were spread on the muddy patch to suck the moist out of earth and cut-grass was sprinkled to cover the mud. Trying a different process, the administrators set the huge patch on fire by dousing it with kerosene.

“There is nothing wrong with the wicket. But we are a bit worried about the patches in the outfield. If it does not rain on Sunday, the patches may get dried to some extent to enable the play to commence,” said Mr. Ananthapadmanabhan of Kerala.

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