Cricket should have started —Bob Vance

Press, 13 March 1987, Page 34

Cricket should have started —Bob Vance

By

JOHN COFFEY

Bob Vance, the New Zealand Cricket Council chairman, was firmly of the opinion that the third cricket test against the West Indies should have started at Lancaster Park yesterday afternoon.

“In some countries of the world we would be playing now,” said Mr Vance a few minutes after the umpires, Messrs Steve Woodward and George Morris, had abandoned the first day because of the underfoot conditions. Asked if he agreed with the abandonment, Mr Vance replied, “frankly, no I don’t.” “It’s not perfect, but I think it’s fit enough to play,” said Mr Vance as he stook on the oval surveying the surroundings. “We are here to play cricket and if you can at all play then you should. The ground staff has done a damn good job. Some parts were pretty wet when they took the covers off, but they are quite reasonable now,” he said. A previously used pitch, two away from the test

strip, was quite muddy in places when the covers were lifted in mid-after-noon. There had been leakages, apparently through the seams. Around the edges of the oval there was evidence of the persistent rain which had' fallen in Christchurch for two days. But the sun was shining brightly as Mr Vance expressed his surprise at the 4 p.m. abandonment. Tour regulations would have permitted play to continue through to 6.30 p.m., one hour after the scheduled stumps. “I think we should all get inside,” said Mr Vance. “We could all get sunburnt if we stay out here much longer.” In answer to a question whether he had been consulted before the decision was made, Mr Vance said,

“The umpires are in charge of conditions. It is not my job, or the board of control’s job, to instruct them.

“They don’t have to consult me— in politeness they told me before it was announced.”

The test pitch had been cut and rolled after the covers were taken off, but there was more than enough grass left to discourage opening batsmen to actively lobby for a start to the match.

Neither side has yet named its twelfth man. The West Indians omitted from the test squad were the reserve wicketkeeper, Thelston Payne, the young batsman, Carl Hooper, and the replacement fast bowler, Patrick Patterson.