Was going to watch cricket ...

Bit of a farce today ...

I started this morning looking to get the Task Of The Day for work done as rapidly as I could get away with doing it so I'd be clear for going home early enough to let me watch the cricket all afternoon. Good plan ... Part A got done handily, even with a few distractions coming in. And working flexible hours will allow me to catch up through next week.

Part B is a different story. 10 years ago, Test Cricket saw its shortest game get called off after just 10 overs and 1 ball, after England batsmen got hit 7 times on a dangerous pitch. What can happen is that the strip of ground that a game is played on becomes unstable, with the bounce either going low or high. Low bounce isn't so much an issue, high bounce isn't that great an issue if it's consistent and predictable. It becomes dangerous when balls of a length where you'd expect the bounce to go hip high, these go over your head (if you're lucky!) That's what cricketers call Variable bounce and without the protective gear, it can be lethal. And even with the protective gear, it leads to broken bones.

That's what happened 10 years ago, today is a little different. On this day, the English and West Indian teams have arrived to find a ground that is totally unfit for games of any kind. The problem is the footing ... So much sand in the pitch to attempt to get decent drainage that when the bowlers run up to bowl, their feet slip out from under them. Holes being dug as they go. Potential for ankles to get twisted and ligaments to get snapped. Memories of the English bowler Simon Jones who suffered a horrific knee injury in conditions like this in Brisbane 3 years ago, an injury he has not fully recovered from yet.

I've played in conditions like this ! It's not fun. And you breathe a hefty sigh of relief when the game ends and you're physically intact. There's a ground I started refusing to play on because the square just wasn't up to it. Instead of sand, this place suffered from ground which turned quagmire. Almost every game I played there usually had me getting a leg muscle explode on me. That's from my legs over adjusting from the little slips and slides caused by poor footing ... and this is with spiked shoes on. It's also the ground where I broke my nose, although that was utterly my fault, not the pitches :-)

So what's happening over in Antigua now ? No play today, so I've been having the talking head coverage on in the background while trying to slog more through Matter by Iain M Banks. (It's his new Culture novel and sadly, I'm finding it hard work - glacial pace compared to his usual). No more play today and I don't think there will be any play at this ground for months (it's that bad).

I don't think cricket will be distracting me away from the 6 Nations Rugby this weekend. A shame, I'd have liked to see England get back on terms.

More here on the Cricinfo site : http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/wiveng2009/content/current/story/390647.html

PS Looking on the bright side, this is a game that won't be ruined by the antics of one of the umpires ... Cricket is currently suffering from a clutch of very poor umpires at international level and the worst of them is due to perform in this game.

Addon - extra bit for CQ who is probably wondering what I mean about a lady singing for Mercy :-) Here we go : Youtube link. Lots of potential with this particular one.