Pitch to be rested

Press, 13 January 1987, Page 13

Pitch to be rested

The No. 1 pitch at Elm-, wood Park is to be “rested” as a first grade cricket venue until there is a marked imr. provement in its quality. Next Saturday’s Trust Bank Cup match between Old Collegians .and Sydenham Has been transferred to Sydenham Park. The next game allocated to Elmwood Park is between Old Collegians and Woolston Working Men’s Club on Sunday, January 25. This will almost certainly be shifted to Garrick Park.

Elmwnod Park was drastically under-prepared Mr last Saturday’s game >in which Riccarton was dismissed for 64 and Old Collegians, realising there was no guarantee of surviving for any length of time, hit their way to a sevenwicket win. • One player, Dean Read, of Riccarton, was struck in the face by one of many rearing deliveries in conditions which ■ enabled the bowlers to be completely dominant and . dangerous — without even a thought of adopting “body-

line” methods. The pitch had clearly not been rolled for some weeks, and Arthur Graves, the chairman of the Canterbury Cricket Association's competitions sub-committee, moved quickly yesterday: to transfer fixtures from Elmwood. Another change of venue next Saturday involves Marist’s game against Woolston Working Men’s Cub. It, was decided Warren Park .was not yet ready for first grade cricket, and the match is to be played at Ham.