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Kiwis get height of hospitality
New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming may have griped about playing conditions in India, but he shouldn?t have any complaints about sleeping conditions in Assam.
New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming may have griped about playing conditions in India, but he shouldn’t have any complaints about sleeping conditions in Assam.
The hotel the Black Caps are staying in has gone the extra foot to make them comfortable: it has ordered special seven-and-a-half-foot-long beds for the taller members of the side.
Five of the Kiwis, including Fleming, wouldn't quite fit in the Landmark Hotel’s standard ‘quilt size’ (6'6) beds, even though hotels in the North-east usually get guests who are more than comfortable with that size.
“There was no request to do this,” said Arindam Bhaumik, the Landmark’s general manager. “We saw them on TV, read about their heights and realised our beds were too short.”
So beds were flown in from Kolkata 48 hours before the Kiwis checked in on Friday. Cost: Rs 1.25 lakh. Beneficiaries: Oram, Tuffey, Fleming, Cairns and Mills.
The beds will eat up some space but the hotel reasons that’s preferable to guests complaining their legs were sticking out.
That might just happen at the Brahmaputra Ashoke where the Aussies have checked in. One Nathan Bracken (6'6) is part of the side, as is Matthew Hayden (6'4). But the security cover at the Ashoke should ensure the Aussies, too, sleep well before their match on Sunday.
Hotel gets good length beds
Quilt-size beds at Guwahati were too short for many Kiwis
New size is a foot longer; should be fine for the biggest of them
New Zealand have several players close to six-and-a-half feet
Australia haven’t brought some taller men, but have Bracken
India with Parthiv, Sachin and Sehwag have plenty of leg space
Jacob oram: The allrounder is 6’ 7
Daryl Tuffey: The paceman is 6’ 5
