ECB's ban on flat covers hits Brumbrella (21 April 1999)
The 'Brumbrella', a 200-yard cover which rolls out to protect most of Warwickshire's Edgbaston ground from the elements, is in danger of becoming a white elephant as the result of new and unpublished regulations issued by the England and Wales
21-Apr-1999
21 April 1999
ECB's ban on flat covers hits Brumbrella
Martin Searby
The 'Brumbrella', a 200-yard cover which rolls out to protect most of
Warwickshire's Edgbaston ground from the elements, is in danger of
becoming a white elephant as the result of new and unpublished
regulations issued by the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Introduced 10 years ago, the Brumbrella was designed to virtually
ensure that whenever it was not raining, play would be under way. But
the ECB are opposed to flat covers and have said they should not be
used this season during matches. This is to stop groundsmen using
plastic or tarpaulin sheets to make pitches 'sweat'.
But with the water table at the Birmingham ground at an all-time high,
Dennis Amiss, the county's chief executive, asked for special
dispensation to use the Brumbrella during the match with Somerset.
"The board said it was all right if the umpires and both captains
agreed, but Somerset objected and the ground is now so wet we are
worried that there might not be any more play in this game."
Pools of water soon formed on the square and outfield yesterday and
play was abandoned for the day shortly after an early lunch. There was
also no play in the four other county matches due to start today.
Dermot Reeve, the Somerset director of cricket, said: "We didn't
object to them using the Brumbrella to cover most of the ground, but
we didn't want it going over the pitch."
Reeve, who played for Warwickshire for eight years and captained them
for four seasons, added: "My experience is that the Brumbrella draws a
lot of moisture to the surface, and we didn't want that."
If Warwickshire had followed Somerset's wishes, the six-ton roller
which supports the 40-yard wide high-tech tarpaulin would have rested
across the square and caused a deep indentation in it. The county are
now considering buying a newer, lightweight version which weighs five
tons less, at a cost of £85,000.
Warwickshire have offered a two-year contract to Ian Bell, the
17-year-old England under-19 batsman who was not even a registered
player when he was selected for last winter's tour of New Zealand.
Graham Ford, a former local provincial second XI cricketer and now an
experienced coach, will be Bob Woolmer's successor as South African
national coach.
Ford, 38, has agreed a three-year contract which ends weeks of
speculation following Woolmer's decision to quit after the World Cup
in June.
A restraining order preventing president Thilanga Sumathipala and
others from officiating on the Sri Lanka Cricket Board has been
extended by a court in Colombo until Monday, when a new hearing will
consider allegations that gun-toting intruders prevented free and fair
elections to the board last month.
Yesterday
PPP County Championship
No play (rain): 1st day of 4:
Derby: Derbys v Glamorgan.
Leicester: Leics v Notts.
Lord's: Middlesex v Lancs.
Worcester: Worcs v Surrey.
Leicester: Leics v Notts.
Lord's: Middlesex v Lancs.
Worcester: Worcs v Surrey.
2nd day of 4:
Edgbaston: Warwicks 356-7 (T L Penney 73, K J Piper 66, D R Brown
55no) v Somerset.
Fixtures
PPP County Championship
1st day of 4 (11am)
Southampton: Hants v Kent.
Hove: Sussex v Northants.
Headingley: Yorks v Gloucs.
Hove: Sussex v Northants.
Headingley: Yorks v Gloucs.
2nd day of 4 (11am)
Derby: Derbyshire v Glamorgan.
Leicester: Leics v Notts.
Lord's: Middlesex v Lancs.
Worcester: Worcs v Surrey.
Leicester: Leics v Notts.
Lord's: Middlesex v Lancs.
Worcester: Worcs v Surrey.
3rd day of 4 (11am)
Edgbaston: Warwicks v Somerset.
Other Match (1st day of 3, 11.30am).
Fenner's: Cambridge Univ v Essex.
2nd XI (11am) - Championship:
1st day of 3:
Cardiff: Glamorgan v Essex.
2nd day of 4:
Riverside: Durham v Northants.
Ashford: Kent v Somerset.
Trent Bridge: Notts v Middlesex.
Ashford: Kent v Somerset.
Trent Bridge: Notts v Middlesex.
AON Trophy: Bristol: Gloucs v Glamorgan.
Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)