Rain swamps Hong Kong cricket venue

Press, 22 April 1986, Page 36

Rain swamps Hong Kong cricket venue

NZPA staff correspondent Hong Kong A“dead keen” New Zealand cricket team was denied a start to its threematch series in Hong Kong when torrential rain swamped much of the Hong Kong Cricket Club’s ground. Overnight thunderstorms and persistent rain threw a blanket of water eight centimetres deep over most of the ground. “The feeling locally is there will be no play on any Hong Kong ground today or tomorrow,” the New Zealand cricket team’s manager, Ken Deas, said yesterday afternoon. The side was to play its first match, against a Hong Kong representative side made up of members of its World Cup squad, at the Hong Kong Cricket Club ground. Games are also set for tomorrow and Friday at the Kowloon Cricket Club. Both grounds were unplayable, said Mr Deas. “Three-quarters of the ground (at H.K.C.C.) is under up to three inches (eight centimetres) of water.” The team was disappointed and after not having had a match for a week was “dead keen” to play, he said. “They are eager to play cricket ... we are prepared to play at any stage the local people tell us the grounds are ready,” said Mr Deas, on his first tour as manager. The local people — many of whom are New Zealanders — were hosting the team very well, he said. Mr Deas said he would be giving Martin Crowe’s twisted right ankle a test in the afternoon — when he challenged the Central Districts batting star to a game of snooker. The ankle, injured by Crowe during a tennis match in Sharjah with his brother and team captain Jeff, was improving, and X-rays had shown no break.