BOTH coaches are relieved that stakeholders agreed to reschedule the all-island Spalding Cup cricket play-off between St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) and Excelsior High after the slated opening day was wrecked due to an underprepared pitch and outfield.

The three-day clash featuring ISSA rural area GK General Insurance Headley Cup champions STETHS and urban Grace Shield winners Excelsior had been set to begin at STETHS Sports Complex on Tuesday. But any possibility of play was ruled out for most of the day as ground staff feverishly cut the grass in the outfield and worked to complete the pitch preparation.

Amidst all that, the match officials declared that the contest is to begin this morning, and is still set to be played over three days.

The Jamaica Observer was told that members of the ground staff had not been able to prepare the venue ahead of Tuesday’s scheduled start due to personal commitments they had over the Easter holiday period.

“The staff members were on holiday, that’s what I’m told… that’s the information that I have,” ISSA’s Chairman of Rural Cricket George Henry, who explained he had been off the island until Tuesday, said when contacted by the Observer.

“It’s not like the pitch got damaged or anything, it’s just that the field was not cut and the pitch was not prepared properly, so the game will start tomorrow [on Wednesday] and is scheduled to last three days.”

Kirkland Bailey, Excelsior’s head coach, was not perturbed by the postponement.

“We want to know that the game is played in a fair manner in which both teams can start knowing that the surface is good,” Bailey, who praised the match officials for their flexible approach to the situation, told the Observer. “At this juncture, at the final, we have the two best teams, arguably, in the country and the game must be played — unless it’s an act of God.

“Yes [there is disappointment] — especially because the game was set from about two weeks ago — but I can’t speak to the dynamics of the situation because it’s not my home venue so I can’t say yay or nay.

“What I know is that [neither the players nor] the coach were the ones responsible, and thus the game must be played because they are the ones who worked hard to get here.”

Bailey said he wasn’t too concerned about the additional expense of spending an extra night at their temporary rural base, given he expects the “usual” support from the high schools sports organiser, ISSA.

Carl Wright, the STETHS head coach, said the decision to reschedule was for the “good” of cricket.

“I think the decision was a good one from the various [parties involved] and we will come [on Wednesday] and have good cricket,” he said. “Because of the long holiday most of the staff were on [a break]. [Given] all those plans with their families, it was very difficult to get everything together… I wouldn’t fault anyone, and we tried our best [to get the venue prepared].

“The pitch wasn’t ready, and this is the Spalding Cup, the all-island championship, so… no one [is] supposed to say there was an advantage because of [too much preparation] moisture on the pitch.”

— Sanjay Myers