West Indies Championship Match Abandoned After A Dangerous Pitch Hospitalises A Player

 

 

A West Indies Championship match between Trinidad & Tobago and Leeward Islands was called off and declared a draw due to dangerous playing conditions. The match was abandoned due to the on-field incident, which resulted in a player being taken on a stretcher and admitted to the hospital.

The four-day match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium was cancelled on Tuesday morning after the umpires ruled that the surface was too dangerous to continue and prioritised player safety amid increasingly unpredictable behaviour from the surface.

 

The decision came after a troublesome moment occurred during the Leeward Islands’ second innings when Jeremiah Louis was hit on the helmet by a delivery from Jayden Seales. The ball bounced lethally from good length after the previous delivery had kept low.

 

Louis collapsed to the ground immediately after the ball hit his helmet. He then immediately dropped his bat in frustration and then kicked his helmet. The medical staff attended to him on the field, and he was taken to a hospital for further evaluation. Cricket West Indies (CWI) confirmed in a statement that his condition is now stable. When the incident occurred, the Leeward Islands were 140/7 and on a narrow lead.

 

“Following discussions with the curator, it was determined that the pitch could not be safely repaired without creating an unfair advantage and was therefore deemed unfit to resume, resulting in the match being abandoned as a draw,” a statement from Cricket West Indies read.

“Both teams will be awarded points earned up until the abandonment of the contest in accordance with the championship’s playing conditions.”

 

CWI also added that the unpredictable and uneven behaviour was the cause of the match being stopped.

“Play was halted in the first session of the third day after the pitch began to exhibit unpredictable and uneven behaviour, raising serious concerns for player safety. During this period, Leeward Islands player Jeremiah Louis was struck while batting. He was immediately attended to by medical personnel and subsequently transported to the hospital to be evaluated for a possible concussion and is reported to be in stable condition.”

Interestingly, the match was played for two full days despite the conditions being dangerous. Also, despite the conditions favouring the bowlers, only Jayden Seales was the sole wicket-taker for his team, taking seven wickets.