WBBL: The pitch caved in.. the match had to be cancelled.. this happened for the first time in cricket history!
Adelaide. In the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), the match being played between Adelaide Strikers and Hobart Hurricanes at Carreton Oval (Adelaide) was canceled due to a strange reason. Actually, the pitch was being rolled during the innings break. Meanwhile, a ball came under the roller and sank into the pitch, due to which a deep crater was formed on the pitch. Because of this the match had to be cancelled. Perhaps this is the first case of a cricket match being canceled in this manner.
When the match stopped on Friday (5 December), Adelaide Strikers had scored 167/4 in 20 overs. The pitch was being rolled during the innings break, as per WBBL rules. At the same time, a ball from the team that was warming up nearby went under the roller and the roller pressed it into the pitch.
The weight of the roller was so much that the ball sank into the pitch and a ball-sized crater was formed in the middle of the pitch. After this, Adelaide Strikers issued a statement on their Instagram, in which it was explained why the match had to be cancelled.
The statement said- Due to this incident the condition of the pitch had changed significantly. The match referee and umpires examined the situation and felt that it would not be appropriate for the Hurricanes to bat on such a pitch, as the conditions would have been completely different from those for the Strikers. The captains of both the teams were talked to and everyone agreed with this decision.
The Hobart team had already confirmed hosting the finals in the WBBL by winning seven out of its first nine matches. They were preparing to chase the Strikers’ target of 167 runs, but then the match was cancelled. On behalf of the Strikers, Madeleine Penna batted brilliantly and scored unbeaten 63 runs on 51 balls and took the team to a strong score.
However, the cancellation of this match was another blow for the Strikers, because this is their third no result this season. Now they are sixth in the points table and have only one match left, which is against Sydney Sixers. To secure a place in the finals, they will have to win this match at any cost.
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