THE 1998 Nortel Youth Cricket Championship seems almost certain to be converted into a one-day limited-overs tournament following the abandonment of yet another days play here yesterday.
It was the opening day of Barbados first official match, but the fourth successive washout for the Windward Islands, whose match against hosts Trinidad and Tobago was abandoned last Friday without a ball being bowled.
There was brilliant sunshine for the first time in nearly three weeks, but heavy, prolonged rain leading up to the match left the conditions at the University of the West Indies ground in St. Augustine in a poor state.
Umpires Muhammad Ali and Camal Basdeo, along with match referee, Barbadian Dr. Ridley Holder, made two inspections. The first, just after the 10 a.m. scheduled start and the other at 1 p.m., at which point play was called off.
By then it was becoming increasingly overcast and by 2 p.m. it was raining in Port-of-Spain.
Under a new format, some teams will be at a disadvantage in trying to qualify for the championship round starting July 20 and tournament officials are keen to make it a meaningful competition despite the setback.
Team managers were on Saturday given proposals which suggested either a two-day competition or a one-day limited-overs championship and, according to Barbados manager Darnley Boxill, the latter option appears to be the more favourable.
Sense
The one-day tournament seems to be the only one to make some kind of sense.
To reduce to a two-day competition, we run the same kind of risk that one day you may get some play and the other day is rained out, Boxill said.
If its one day, youre either playing or youre not playing. You dont mind playing a reduced time, but at least everything will start and finish on that day.
Boxill said teams had until Wednesday to make their position known to the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board of Control.
The inclination around, not only our team but the others, seems to be to move to a one-day tournament likely to start around July 20. Talking to the other managers, they all seem inclined towards the one-day championship.
Boxill said he was disappointed to find the conditions at the ground yesterday in such a state.
It is understood that the pitch was only covered from Friday, and even so, water soaked through the covers and the outfield was thickly grassed.
My understanding was that the pitch was in pretty good shape last week Monday, the Barbados manager said.
A little more prudence could have been exercised; the pitch could have been covered from earlier.
The groundsman has not had a chance to prepare the pitch. That is problem. That pitch is going to take some time to dry out and I dont think it will be suitable for play unless we get a lot of sun between now (yesterday) and tomorrow (today).
Someone even said sunshine was needed last night for there to be a prompt start today.
For the record, Barbados declared a team which omitted batsmen Shawn Sargeant and Anthony Hurley, along with fast bowler Callitos Lopez from their squad of 14.
No play
There was also no play in the match between Jamaica and the Leeward Islands, a match which was shifted from Gilbert Park in Couva to Presentation College in Chaguanas because preparations at the original venue were delayed by the rain.