Magazine - Super Sopper Sucks at Queens Park Ground

By Editor in Cricket on 13th Jan 2010 6:00

Southland Cricket Association groundsman Kevin Cooper has estimated at least 25,000 litres of water have been taken from the Queens Park ground during the past four days as staff attempt to get it fit for play.

If a ball is bowled tonight in the twenty20 game between the Otago Volts and Northern Knights, don't be surprised if a massive sigh of relief booms across the ground from Cooper and his hard-working team.

Heavy rain in Invercargill during the past four days has had staff at Queens Park working overtime to reduce the surface flooding, in a race against time to get it fit for play. The game is one of the biggest cricket fixtures in Invercargill for years, with up to 12 past or present international players expected to front.

The Southland Cricket Association is eager to showcase the sport at the highest level in Invercargill, hence its desperation to ensure the ground is right to play on. Cooper said they had used the "super sopper" machine constantly for the past four days to try to make the ground as dry as possible. "God knows how many litres of water we've picked up," he said yesterday. "Twenty-five thousand litres at least," he added.

Cooper said the outfield wasn't great but felt that if there were only limited rain leading up to to 5pm today, there shouldn't be any problems playing. While the wicket block had spent much time undercover recently, Cooper was confident it would play well tonight.

He has opted to use the same strip that Otago and Northern played on in a one-day game at Queens Park before Christmas.

Source & More: www.stuff.co.nz
By LOGAN SAVORY - The Southland Times

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