A first-class fixture at North Sound’s Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in the Caribbean has been abandoned due to a dangerous pitch, with a player hospitalised after being struck on the helmet during the final delivery of the match.
The four-day West Indies Championship contest between Trinidad & Tobago and Leeward Islands was declared a draw after the umpires decided to abandon the match on Tuesday morning.
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The hosts were 7-140 in the second innings, leading by 96 runs, when a delivery from fast bowler Hayden Seales reared sharply off a length and struck Jeremiah Louis on the helmet. The previous delivery, tellingly, had kept low.
The Leeward Islands seamer initially collapsed to the deck and dropped his bat before slapping the pitch and kicking his helmet in frustration. He was stretchered off the ground after receiving medical attention, taken to hospital in an ambulance with a suspected concussion.
Following a lengthy delay, the match was abandoned.
“Following discussions with the curator, it was determined (by the umpires) that the pitch could not be safely repaired without creating an unfair advantage and was therefore deemed unfit to resume, resulting in the match being abandoned as a draw,” Cricket West Indies said in a statement.
“Both teams will be awarded points earned up until the abandonment of the contest in accordance with the championship’s playing conditions.”
Sir Viv Richards Stadium is scheduled to host next month’s West Indies Championship final.
“CWI confirms that all necessary resources and expertise will be deployed to ensure the preparation of a safe and competitive playing surface for that fixture,” the statement continued.
“It is also important to note that the surface used for the Leeward Islands vs Trinidad and Tobago match is one of six pitches available at the venue and differs from the one used for match one of the Guyana vs Windward Islands series.
“CWI will continue to prioritise player safety while ensuring the highest standards of pitch preparation and match operations across all venues.”
CWI also confirmed that Louis was “reported to be in stable condition”.
“He’s in the hospital at the moment,” Leeward Islands coach Wilden Cornwall said.
“I just hope that everything goes well for him and (there is) no really serious damage. It was really devastating to see exactly what took place this morning.”
Cornwall added that he had “doubts” about the pitch conditions from the morning of day one.
“To me, it wasn’t given the preparation of a four-day wicket, hence we see so many players get damaged,” he said.
“The pitch has been misbehaving throughout the entire three days.”
Trinidad & Tobago coach Rayad Emrit added: “To be blatantly honest, the bounce has been inconsistent throughout the two-and-a-half days.
“For me, if that’s the decision, they should have made it on day one.”
Seales, who boasted career-best figures of 7-34 when the match was abandoned, had been denied a rare opportunity to take all ten wickets in an innings.
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