THE FEROZESHAH Kotla will roll out brand new wickets from the next season. The Delhi District and Cricket Association (DDCA) has gone into an overdrive to relay the wickets to change their profile and nature.
“The wickets were a bit on the slower side. So we have decided to relay them all and have quick and bouncy wickets from the next season,” DDCA sports secretary, Sunil Dev, told HT.
The DDCA is not only relaying the main square and the practice wickets, but also the ones in the ‘B’ ground. “With the IPL moving out of the country and the monsoon setting in after that, we had a lot of time on our hands. So we decided to overhaul the entire set-up,” he said.
An overhaul was perhaps overdue, given the way the India-Australia Test petered to a lifeless draw here last year. “The profile of the wickets was faulty as we discovered immediately after the digging started. The top layer usually remained wet as there wasn’t any provision for drainage,” Daljit Singh, the BCCI Pitches and Grounds Committee chairman, said.
“The DDCA has been very prompt in taking the decision and I am sure they will have fantastic wickets by 2010,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“The DDCA has been very prompt in taking the decision and I am sure they will have fantastic wickets by 2010,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Vishal, Pankaj shine
Vishal Tyagi’s 77 and 2 for 29 along with Pankaj Joshi’s 66 not out helped I.T.C. beat Indian Air Force by seven wickets in the All India Om Nath Sood tournament.
Brief Score: I.A.F. 175 in 37 ovrs (S Upadhayay 55, Venkat 36; Nishan 3 for 38, B Kumar 3 for 38, V Tyagi 2 for 29) lost to I.T.C 176 for 3 in 33.1 ovrs (V Tyagi 77, P Joshi 66 n.o.).