Badly Let Down By Poor Umpiring Decisions

After not being able to get on the ground all day Friday. I got down there at 6-30am light rain was falling so I took a few photos straight away.

 I got some old foam out and started to mop up the ends.

Every where was under water even areas of the outfield.

I got the two "Magic Sponges" out and the blower, which I placed so the nozzle was blowing air under the sheets. I mopped the standing water off the square and got my groundsman spiking machine out and spiked over the top of all the drains in an effort to link the surface with the drains. It was still raining some times more heavily than others, then it stopped so I tried to get the sheets off. I had double sheeted and got the big green one pulled back over the single pitch size white one when it started to rain again, so back on they went. I repeated this on two occasion only for it to rain again. Without going into more boring detail I mopped the square with the Magic Sponge three times and had a coffee waiting for the players to arrive.

Players and umpires arrive and its still poring down. I continue to mop up and do what I can. We take the big green sheet off and wait for a break in the rain, when it came the white sheet was removed only to reveal that the water had run under at the bottom end leaving an area seven foot from the stumps wet through. Rain then started again so back on with the sheet. I had long discussions with the umpires telling them that it would take me an hour after it stopping raining to get a get prepared if I could at all. 

It just about stopped and the pitch was uncovered I scrapped off some mud from the surface and dug out and filled block holes and foot holes just to get some dry soil in there. The whole area was like a bar of soap that had been left in water for a day, just not fit.

Early tea was declared as 4-00 pm was the latest starting time to constitute a game of twenty overs a side.

I was told by the lead umpire at around 3-20 that they would start at 4-00 if I was in agreement.

I did my best cutting the pitch and trying to roll with the hand roller but it was full of water and it was running out of the split in the middle so I had to quickly take it off. I was getting no where a getting concerned so informed the umpire that it wasn't fit and I couldn't get it fit. They eventually came out had a walk around and said "They had seen worse" and asked me to mark the pitch when I said it wasn't fit I was instructed to mark it. So despite being told that play would start as long as I was happy it was fit, I was then told by the lead umpire that they were going back on their word and that play would start.

The whole thing was just a joke, our league is called the Airedale and Wharfedale Senior Cricket League.

I looked up the word "senior"

Senior- Relating to or denoting competitors of above a certain age or of the highest status in a particular sport

I would like to ask our umpires to uphold the standards of a Senior League.

I was so very wound up and upset by the situation that I clean forgot to take any further photos, the above were taken Monday tea time two days after the event.

I don't know what groundsman have to do to gain respect.

Rant over.

Hodgy