EVEN though the sun shone in all its glory the previous day, the world renowned Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground was still not fit for play on the second day of the second round match between Guyana and the Leeward Islands yesterday. One good sight that met the eyes of the umpires was the rolling of the pitch by one of the groundsmen, along with the disappearance of water from the boundary edges which were left in a soggy condition, but despite same, play was not possible.
In an invited comment with Chronicle Sport, Barbados’ Vincent Bullen, who along with Guyana’s Clyde Duncan are the standing  umpires  for this match, said no decision can be made on the possibility of play until they arrive at the ground today.
This was in relation to a comment from the head groundsman Culdip Harrichand, who said once there is no rain for the remainder of the day (yesterday), as well as the night then there is a possibility of play commencing before lunch.
Following the abandonment of the first day’s play on Friday due to persistent overnight and early morning showers from Wednesday night that left the venue flooded, captain of the Guyana team Assad Fudadin expressed his disappointment with the position they are faced with.
“Certainly, we were looking to cash in on our home advantage, especially at this venue that is familiar to us. Unfortunately, I don’t think anybody can question the work of God and while it is frustrating to see a ground full of water, the spirit of the players remains high.”
Despite the inclement weather placing a damper on this game, the Guyana team remain hard at training, as they undergo sessions in the morning at the National Gymnasium, followed by indoor sessions at the Chetram Singh Centre of Excellence at LBI, under the watchful eyes of coach Mark Harper.