Scorpions skipper highlights Sabina drainage

Jamaica Scorpions captain Nikita Miller believes play could have taken place on yesterday's first day of their rain-affected third-round Digicel Regional Four-day Championship fixture against leaders Barbados Pride at Sabina Park if the venue had a better drainage system.

Play was called off at approximately 2:30 p.m. when the umpires ruled that the ground was unfit for play due to overnight and early morning rain.

However, as was the case in the second-round clash between the Jamaica and Windwards Volcanoes last weekend at the venue, where rain prevented play for most of the first day, many felt that had the venue's waterdrainage system been working properly, there could have been play.

"I think the maintenance of the ground needs some urgent work," said Miller when asked to assess the premature end to day one.

"You cannot do anything about the rain, but what you can do is to get your ground ready, and I don't think our ground is that ready."

POCKETS OF WATER

According to the 34-year-old, who was appointed to lead the team at the start of the season, since preseason, preparation started in August, there had been pockets of water on the surface of the field whenever it rained and this was due to improper drainage.

This, he said, was subsequently discussed and it was widely believed that if there were to be heavy rain before or during matches, it could seriously affect the outcome.

"There were signs during preseason during preparations that if it rained heavily, there could be problems," Miller outlined.

"It, therefore, comes as little surprise to us that since the Windwards game, there has been lengthy delays whenever there is a downpour.

"I don't know where it has gone wrong, as last year, we had rain and we did not have these sort of long delays."

He continued: "I don't know if it is the football that has been playing at the ground. I cannot say as I am not a professional in that area."

Meanwhile, the Jamaica Cricket Association, who, along with Kingston Cricket Club, through Sabina Park Holdings, owns the venue, said it was aware that there could be a drainage problem.

However, according to O'Neil Cruickshank, the operations manager of the JCA, there has been no official assessment of the problem.

"There is an acknowledgement that there could be a problem with the drainage system, but we cannot say what it is as that is a technical matter," stated Cruickshank.

"All we can say is that we have been having delays during games and we have had situations like this before where we have had heavy, heavy showers and in 20 to 30 minutes we are playing."

It was also outlined by Cruickshank that in light of the developments, an assessment report is to be done with plans to address the situation from a technical point of view during upcoming breaks in the season.

Play is now scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. over the next three days of the match to make up for some of the time lost.