Club pitches wicket woes

– Marc McGowan
H.S.D Cricket Club president Michael Cruse has lodged a written complaint to the Dandenong District Cricket Association (DDCA) over Fountain Gate Cricket Club’s handling of the cricket pitch at Max Pawsey Reserve on the weekend.
The complaint was made in relation to the wash out of the clubs’ turf-two contest.
“They put the covers down on Friday, but they were only loosely put down,” Cruse said. “You could see the covers flapping from the road.”
After being placed over the pitch on Friday, the covers were taken off at 8am on Saturday morning and remained off, despite persistent rain.
Fountain Gate Cricket Club vice-president Shane Scanlon said, in defence of the complaint, that the ground was fairly open and the wind did play havoc..
“Once you find the pitch is damp, what are your options? It was not going to dry with the covers on,” he said.
A similar incident occurred in the respective match last season at the same ground.
The DDCA had not returned phone calls at the time of going to press.