The result has been spectacular, the greenest, softest Test outfield in the Caribbean. Realising that natural grass would never sprout in time, his Government imported ready-grassed turf from Miami and simply rolled it into place. Within weeks, the Jamaica Test had been abandoned and the West Indies Cricket Board was being urged to act early and switch the Antigua Test to Barbados.With elections due within a year, there was no way Lester Bird, the Prime Minister, could let the Test go. There was no way, the world was advised, that it would be ready for a Test less than three months away.
It was doubt that proved the catalyst for unusually urgent action by the Antigua Government, cricket authorities and just ordinary people.
When England arrived in St John’s in January, the outfield, excavated so that it could be resurfaced and fitted with drainage, was a wasteland of mud. A new stand, to be named in honour of the former West Indies captain, Richie Richardson, was just having its foundations laid. WITH a little help from American technological expertise and a sizeable debt in the public treasury, they have worked wonders on the Antigua Recreation Ground. Grounds that continue to produce pitches like these cannot sustain Test cricket for any length of time.Something must be done – and soon.. Add in Trinidad and Guyana and none of the three pitches had the right amount of preparation, although this can be forgiven as far as the first Trinidad Test was concerned because they had only a week’s notice of that rearranged match.It may be that because those who run West Indies cricket, apart from the chief executive, Steve Camacho, are mainly marketing men, the seriousness of the problem may not be fully appreciated. Only in Barbados does it know what it is doing and the former West Indian fast bowler Richard Edwards, who understands his job backwards at Kensington Oval, must be given overall responsibility for all the Test pitches.The locals in the territories other than Barbados are not going to like what they will consider to be foreign interference but the WICB governs the game in the regions and, although the members are a group of independent countries, they must each be persuaded to look to the common good rather than to petty parochial considerations.The Sabina Park pitch in Kingston was relaid last October and then cared for by ground staff who did not know their job and had no supervision. Already, the pitch is scarred.The West Indies Cricket Board needs to take urgent action over the pitches on its main grounds.
The pitch was recently relaid and had not been tried out before this match It was not altogether flat and it was much too damp. There was a crust on top to a depth of a three-quarters of an inch and the soil under this crust was extremely wet.
Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh made the ball explode and it was only through a mixture of skill, outrageous luck and two dropped catches that England did not lose a wicket in the 11 overs rain allowed before lunch and that no serious injury was sustained. THE pitch troubles on this tour was taken a stage further at the Recreation Ground yesterday, where yet another surface was produced that was not fit for Test cricket Batting was a complete lottery. 146 R Claydon 75 71; R Chapman 72 74; M Davis 75 71; P Eales 75 71; J Payne 74 72; J Spence 74 72; M Lafeber (Ned) 73 73; T Gogele (Ger) 73 73; D Robertson 73 73; S Leaney (Aus) 76 70.. 144 I Pyman 73 71; J Sandelin (Swe) 73 71; D Cooper 73 71; V Phillips 70 74; A Cejka (Ger) 72 72. 145 C Hainline (US) 77 68; C Clark 74 71; A Garrido (Sp) 72 73; R Burns 76 69; D Cole (Aus) 71 74; T Gillis (US) 71 74; G Evans 74 71; S Ballesteros (Sp) 72 73.
143 R Boxall 71 72; E Romero (Arg) 68 75; D Thomson 76 67; D Chopra (Swe) 74 69; S Alker (NZ) 74 69; J Rivero (Sp) 73 70; F Cea (Sp) 71 72; M Reale (It) 74 69; S Cage 73 70; S Tinning (Den) 72 71; D Howell 71 72. 140 J Coceres (Arg) 69 71; H Nystrom (Swe) 72 68; I Garbutt 72 68 141 T Johnstone (Zim) 68 73. 142 A Oldcorn 71 71; G Owen 72 70; M-A Martin (Sp) 70 72; F Henge (Swe) 71 71; S Bennett 74 68; F Jacobson (Swe) 72 70; P Baker 72 70. A late double-bogey ended Hedblom’s run of an eagle and five birdies around the turn in his 67.PORTUGUESE OPEN (Penina): Leading early second-round scores:134 W Riley (Aus) 68 66 137 P Mitchell 67 70; D Gilford 70 67 138 J Remesy (Fr) 70 68 139 D Carter 73 66; P Hedblom (Swe) 72 67. Mitchell, second overnight a stroke behind Clarke, bogeyed twice to deny himself second place on his own.Carter, who has never won on tour, also shot 66 with an eagle and six birdies. It relaxes me and so I enjoy my golf.”Gilford, twice a Ryder Cup player, moved within two strokes of Riley with two holes to go but bogeyed the last.