By Tony Cozier
Five months before it hosts the final of the third World Twenty20 championship, Kensington Oval has been slated by the International Cricket Council’s pitch consultant for the sudden and “significant” deterioration in its pitch block.
In a damning report to the ICC following an on-site inspection last month, Andy Atkinson, who has been in the post since 1999, criticised the ground authorities for their lack of urgency in dealing with the problems and expressed his “growing suspicions” of the “proficiency and capability” of the groundsman.
The ICC has passed the report on to the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) for its response.
According to Atkinson, the grass coverage of the pitches is “very patchy”. “Many areas are totally devoid of grass and the surface levels of the whole block require to be adjusted to rectify the surface undulation that is noticeable to the naked eye,” he reported. “The level of the whole block appears to have sunk and is slightly lower than the outfield.”
He charged that it appeared no specific plan was in place to renovate the pitches. “The apparent lack of urgency to resolve the problems that are visibly obvious with these pitches is alarming and confirm my opinion that the groundsman and ground authorities appear not recognize the problems with which they have to deal, and evidently neither are familiar with the processes needed to rectify those issues,” he added.
He stated that the practice nets were “entirely grassless and extremely worn”. Under an agreement with the government, which financed Kensington’s complete redevelopment for the 2007 World Cup at a cost of US$90 million, the BCA shares responsibility for the playing facilities with Kensington Oval Management Inc. (KOMI), the government body established two years ago.
The BCA is in charge during the regional first-class and international season. It handed it back over KOMI last May.
Kensington was the home of Pickwick club from 1882 to 2004 when the club’s lease expired and the stands and ground redeveloped.
While club matches were played at Kensington every weekend throughout the season during Pickwick’s tenure; that is no longer the case.
The pitch block, or square, was relaid during reconstruction and first used in the World Cup when it also hosted the final.
Kensington is scheduled to host 18 matches over nine days, including men’s and women’s semi-finals and final, in the World Twenty20 championship that runs from April 30 to May 16.
Atkinson, who was head groundsman at grounds in England and South Africa, before joining ICC, inspects and assesses proposed venues and oversees preparation of pitches at all ICC events.