Magazine - Battle over Drop-in Pitches

By Editor in Cricket on 17th Aug 2010 10:50

Opposition to drop-in pitches has emerged as a potential killer blow to Adelaide Oval's metamorphosis into a 50,000-capacity stadium.

A grassroots campaign against digging up the famous wicket square is gathering momentum among SA Cricket Association members, who have final say on the $535 million redevelopment. The SACA board election is seen as a litmus test for the issue, with four of the eight candidates running an anti-drop-in platform.

They are being backed by Adelaide lawyer Greg Howe, who is in favour of the oval's redevelopment to accommodate AFL matches from 2014 -- but not at the expense of the world-renowned wicket square. "I am implacably opposed to the proposal the centre square be removed and be replaced with a 'drop-in' wicket," Howe wrote in a letter to 150 fellow SACA members.

"If that is an essential pre-condition of the proposed redevelopment, then I am opposed to the proposed redevelopment." The Australian revealed last month the SACA and SANFL had agreed to switch to drop-in pitches when they co-located at the oval in 2014.

Assurances from SACA president Ian McLachlan that the artificial pitches will be of a high standard have failed to mollify Howe and his followers. "I do not accept that the integrity and quality of the cricket pitches will be preserved and retained if the current square is removed," Howe wrote.

"It will be irreversible, and it represents too substantial a concession for the end benefit of attracting AFL football to Adelaide Oval." Howe pointed to the examples of cricket holding out against the AFL's pushes for drop-ins at the SCG and Gabba. "At the moment, we have a world-renowned wicket square," he said.

Howe has received an "overwhelmingly positive response" to his letter. He stressed he was not critical of the SACA board for bowing to football's requests for artificial pitches.

The AFL wants the pitches to be removed out of cricket season to create a homogenous playing surface for football. SACA chief executive John Harnden said the board was committed to drop-in pitches. He said the SACA had received just two emailed complaints about its plans to dig up the centre square.

"We see the drop-in pitches as an important part of the redevelopment of the oval," Harnden said. He said SACA members would get their say on the whole redevelopment at a special general meeting.

But he doubted they would get a vote on every aspect of the plans, such as the type of pitches used. So, if those opposed to planks of the plan -- such as bulldozing mounds, parklands encroachment or installing drop-ins -- all voted against the development, it would be unlikely to garner the required 75 per cent support.

Source & More: www.theaustralian.com.au

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