Rain, rain, go away.
Australia’s blockbuster, must-win T20 World Cup clash against England at the MCG, one of the most-hyped games of the whole tournament, was abandoned without a ball bowled, as Melbourne’s rain once again refused to relent on Friday night.
It means three of the five games at the venue this World Cup have been abandoned without a ball bowled, following similar scenes in Afghanistan’s match with Ireland on Friday afternoon and the New Zealand-Afghanistan match on Wednesday evening; while another, England’s shock loss to Ireland on Wednesday, was cut short and needed the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system to decide the result.
While rain is a permanent threat to cricket around the world – the ODI World Cup in England in 2019 also featured regular washouts – one fact about Melbourne had fans particularly upset after the match was officially called off.
Just a few kilometres up the road from the MCG sits Marvel Stadium, the home of Big Bash League side the Melbourne Renegades – and, crucially, the sole cricket venue in the country with a retractable roof.
Yet the ICC didn’t schedule a single match at the venue, choosing instead to use the MCG and GMHBA Stadium in Geelong as its Victorian grounds for the tournament, despite a rainy October being heavily forecast months in advance.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan took to Twitter to ponder why the alternate stadium, which is owned by the AFL, wasn’t utilised as a venue for the tournament, which could have enabled several games to be moved.
Rain has become a nuisance at this World Cup, as La Nina wreaks havoc up and down the eastern coast.
South Africa’s clash with Zimbabwe in Hobart earlier in the week was a source of much controversy, with the umpires allowing play to continue despite heavy rain falling and slippery conditions underfoot leading to several Zimbabwean players slipping over.
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But nowhere has been hit harder than Melbourne, with the state suffering its wettest October in 47 years. Flooding had already caused major property damage statewide, and things are only getting worse, with more rainfall recorded this week alone than its entire October monthly average.
While this latest match abandonment will almost certainly trigger yet more calls to move matches from the MCG to Docklands, one fan pointed out that it is now far too late.
The stadium will host India Fashion Week on Sunday, as well as the A-League match between Melbourne Victory and Newcastle next Friday.
There are, however, only two more games scheduled at the MCG for the remainder of the tournament.
But the ICC will surely be concerned that one of them, naturally, is the final on November 13 – no doubt they will be praying that the rain relents by then.
The next match at the venue is India’s clash with Zimbabwe on Sunday November 6, the final match of the Super 12s stage.
Doctor Rotcod
Guest
And just think, His Holiness saw you. Who is to say that that chance encounter was not sufficient to bring him to Enlightenment ?
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Yeah fair point. I guess they have the drop-in prepared for BBL in January.
Ace
Roar Rookie
Jeff this tournament has been on the radar for months. Surely they could have put in a "drop in " as a back up plan. Not as stupid as you think. Common sense Prior preparation
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Poplars play an important part in one of my most treasured memories. It was the day after my 40th; had spent the previous day in the most ridiculous "unsafe" high-pass crossing on a petrol tanker (because I'd lost my jeep driver - and bags - and needed any transport to get me up the mountain to find him again - anyway...) through slip-sliding mud on a path falling away down the mountain as fast as the imported Bengali workers could keep replacing the dirt and stones to keep it "trafficable" whilst rain kept falling, turning everything to mud.. So, after all that, on the day after my 40th, I found myself in a remote valley and town. in the back-end of the Himalaya. Very much, lined with poplars. Poplars everywhere. Was August, so right at the peak of summer and the poplars being at the greenest of their green lushness. So, guess who I got to see when totally randomly I was in the middle of "nowhere"? The Dalai Lama! He flew in by chopper, over the pass that I had struggled with crossing for two days; he arrived, walked down the carpet that was laid out for him in front of the local monastery, and gave prayers, surrounded by Tibetan deep-bellowing trumpets either side. There was only about 40 people to greet him and shake his hand and bow in deference as he walked down the carpet. And I was one of them. 1 day after my 40th. How crazy is that? Could not have even contemplated anything even close to that experience as something for my 40th! And bless his holiness, he's still going strong nearly 15 years later :)
Sgt Pepperoni
Roar Rookie
Bah I love the roar and I bloody love your posts Jeff. Gold
Jeff
Roar Rookie
:laughing:
Sgt Pepperoni
Roar Rookie
This is the number one poplar post in the history of the roar
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Oh man, I love poplars. I have great memories of poplar-filled valleys and snow melt-fed fields from across far northern Pakistan and India. Right now, the poplars are all turning from their summer deep-green, to bright golden. (It's something else, to see that golden against the deep blue sky you get at those elevated altitudes). A couple of things re poplars: 1) About now, they start cutting them down in Kashmir for heating ahead of winter; come now/November, the Vale of Kashmir (which basically is the elevated, but flat, basin that Indian Kashmir sits within, surrounded by mountains) starts filling with smoke from poplar burning. 2) The traditional cricket bat manufacturing that for decades has been driven by the availability of Kashmiri willow, is now under threat because of willows being replaced by the faster growing poplars (and other types). Go 15 minutes out of the centre of Srinagar (to the north) and the number of cricket-bat shops with hundreds of cricket bats sitting in sheds out the back. is just insane, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-15/fewer-willows-worry-kashmir-cricket-bat-makers/101524484
Sgt Pepperoni
Roar Rookie
I hear your favourite tree is the poplar
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Hey, I was trying to get outraged too. I was just taking the populist approach. To be, you know, popular.
Sgt Pepperoni
Roar Rookie
Look Jeff we don't need your logic here. We're trying to get outraged alright?
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Problem is it would cost close to millions to create, curate and maintain a "stand-by" square, from last summer. That's not viable, so then do you look at whether all future cricket is banned at the MCG and automatically scheduled at Docklands? Can't see that happening. I reckon Sydney has more cricket days lost to rain than Melbourne anyway.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
It's funny seeing people vent their spleens. "There's a roof 4km away. We knew it would rain for a week. They could have readied a drop-in wicket a week ago". Ah yes, the ol' "drop-in wicket on demand". Shame on CA for not heading down to Bunnings a fortnight ago and not placing a Special Order for a drop-in wicket. Would delivery costs have been included in the point-of-sale purchase?
Jeff
Roar Rookie
So it's popular, because it's popular?
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Why write a story when you can cut and paste 25 Tweets? I thought we already had a comments section. Think we’re still a chance, but if not back to situation normal: we don’t realise care about T20i’s do we? Just compensation for Windies and others who can’t win Tests and real World Cups.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Very good point re the drop in wicket, given what you have outlined still sounds manageable with all the right planning.
Ummi
Guest
It is popular just because of their huge population.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Still requires a drop-in square to be sitting ready off-site with many months of preparation, not 5-7 days prior. Docklands' sun-capture doesn't allow for it to sit within the stadium, ready for use come Melbourne spring. So needs to be curated off-site for 6 months, then lowered in weeks prior so it can stitch in. There is no cricket wicket sitting in the Docklands stadium.
jameswm
Roar Guru
No that's not right. Beating them by a lot will still be enough.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
When is it "red nose day", anyway? Can't be far off? The world loves a clown.