Wet May days wreck some World Cup planning (9 May 1999)
England's merry month of May provided a wet, chilly reminder for some of the World Cup hopefuls that weather conditions can play havoc with the best laid plans
09-May-1999
9 May 1999
Wet May days wreck some World Cup planning
Trevor Chesterfield
England's merry month of May provided a wet, chilly reminder for some
of the World Cup hopefuls that weather conditions can play havoc with
the best laid plans.
Both favourites, South Africa and Australia, had their opening warm up
games rained off on successive days: South Africa at the Saffrons, in
Hove, and the Australians down in the fair principality of Wales where
at Sophia Gardens, the outfield was more fit for scuba diving mid
afternoon.
While England at least put in a winning run against Kent at
Canterbury, which is South Africa's next port of call in the warm-up
stages India was also hit by rain, not before Rahul Dravid scored a
sensible 60. Jonty Rhodes and assistant coach Graham Ford made the
trip to Leicester's Grace Road on a "spying" mission, found not too
much to report on.
Whether this duo is likely to turn up at Harrogate where India play
Yorkshire is another matter.
But rain splattered England these first few days in May have done no
favours at all to the main teams in Groups A and B.
Okay, Bangladesh had a convincing enough win over Essex at Chelmsford
and the New Zealanders were just to good for Hampshire at Southampton,
the West Indies match in Bristol against Gloucestershire was also a
victim of the rain; ditto Pakistan in Derby. But the weather is not
helping.
In fact you get the impression that the low-key public relations
exercise which launched this tournament is a little like the weather,
still sounding off a raspberry instead of a royal salute. If the cold,
damp and miserable state of the current climate continues it has been
suggested the World Cup be postponed until August and September.
South Africa's captain, Hansie Cronje, glum at how an English er ...
summer, contrived to wreck the World Cup favourites opening warm up
game, was joined 24 hours later by Steve Waugh. Both were of the same
opinion, with the Aussies quickly withdrawing from a drizzling Cardiff
for the soggy midlands at New Road at Worcester.
Cronje was equally worried about the fitness of the team's star
fielding turn Rhodes whose injury kept him out of the game at Hove and
also against Kent at the St Lawrence Ground. Whether he is ready to
take his place in the side at Southgate on Tuesday for the game
against Middelsex is another worry.
"I have played about 150 one-games with Jonty in the side and it is
nice to know he is there. His value to us in this tournament was shown
by the way he performed when we were in England last year," he
admitted.
Rhodes visited a specialist in London shortly after the South Africans
arrived as concern over the right forearm bruising grew.
Media relations have so far been interesting with the liaison officer
at Hove trying to convince everyone in the crammed press box that it
was clearing in Cornwall and that being the case, the game would start
at 2.30. Just what Cornwall had to do with the rain in Hove has not
been answered. But the game was called off shortly before 2.30 in the
afternoon and the umpires, Messrs Roy Palmer and Darrel Hair deciding
the weather was not going to clear.
At least they got in 10 overs in Cardiff with Jason Gillespie looking
menacing and Shane Warne bagged a catch.
South Africa, like India and Sri Lanka, will be seeking a better deal
in the second round of games but the weather forecast is far from
promising.
Source :: Trevor Chesterfield