Please rain go away

By Peter Martin

EAST LONDON -- The West indies cricket team arrive here today for tomorrow's three-day clash with Border.

The question is: Will there be any play?

The wet weather the city has experienced the past week has not endeared itself to Buffalo Park groundsman, Greg Dreyer.

Dreyer has a difficult enough job preparing a pitch that will hold up for three days, without having to fight the elements as well.

Buffalo Park yesterday afternoon looked forlorn.

Huge puddles of water silhouetted the empty grandstands -- a depressing sight -- but Dreyer and his team were hard at work draining the area surrounding the pitch.

Thousands of litres have already been drained.

Overnight rain from the pitch area is collected off the covering tarpaulin which falls into a hidden pipe situated at one corner of the pitch.

Hidden under that huge tarpaulin is the part of the ground which claims the most attention from players, critics and radio and TV commentators --the pitch.

When asked what sort of pitch he had prepared for the game, Dreyer replied it would be a good three-day pitch. Hard but fair to both bowler and batsman.

"There will definitely be no cracks in the pitch come tomorrow,'' Dreyer said.

Hopefully the weather will clear for the first official senior West Indies visit to the city.