MCG right as rain for VB Final

[Pathan007]

MCG right as rain for VB Final
Thursday, February 3, 2005

Despite heavy rain in Melbourne over the last 24 hours, MCG officials are confident that Friday’s one-day international between Australia and Pakistan will begin as scheduled.

MCC Arenas Manager Tony Ware said a new drainage system installed prior to Christmas, as part of the Commonwealth Games track installation, meant last night’s rain had minimal impact on the playing surface, with the outfield dry and the pitch ready for play.

“The pitch remains covered, so it’s fine and the surrounds and the outfield are ready to go,” said Mr Ware.

“We’ve had a sand field here since 1992 so the rain has always drained well since that time, but the new system installed a couple of months ago is working so well that we could play the match today if required.”

Mr Ware said although the MCG had received approximately 120mm of rain between 9am yesterday and 9am today, play would start on time on Friday provided it wasn’t raining and that the umpires were satisfied that conditions were safe for the players.

“We’ll cover the pitch if it rains, and peel them off and play when the rain stops,” Mr Ware said.

The match begins at 2.15pm and gates open for the public at 12.15pm.
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However, high winds did cause an 80-metre jib to snap from a crane at the MCG, where construction company Grocon is building the new northern stand.

"It hasn't caused any damage to the actual building that was built, but it has come back the other way towards the park," Grocon chief Daniel Grollo told radio station 3AW.

"Our guys on the site at the moment are just making the site safe and as soon as we can ascertain the correct procedure to dismantle that we'll do that and put a new one up."

Grollo said the jib snapped from a crane at the old Members' stand and was hanging from the A-frame structure.
http://www.mcc.org.au/default.asp?pg...articleid=1648

[Pathan007]

INSHALLAH. that means we shall have a play on time INSHALLAH

[Oxy]

Lots of rain in the recent series in West Indies/South Africa and Australia-traditionally sunb drenched climates.

Strange.

[Hash]

weather forcast isn't as bad as it was yesterday either. Chance of rain for Friday has now gon e down from 80% to 60% and they are expecting sunny intervals so we will hopefully get a full game.

[waquas_uk]

High winds snapped an 80-metre crane jib as heavy showers hit the MCG last night, but the surface was not damaged before tomorrow's first VB Series final between Australia and Pakistan. A Melbourne Cricket Club spokesman said 120mm of rain fell overnight and the water seeped straight through the drainage system installed as part of the ground's redevelopment.

Daniel Grollo, the chief executive of the construction company Grocon, said the jib snapped on a crane in the old Members' Stand and was left hanging. "It hasn't caused any damage to the actual building that was built," Grollo told 3AW. "It's a fairly big, quite unusual event. Our guys on the site are just making the site safe and as soon as we can ascertain the correct procedure to dismantle it we'll do that and put a new one up."

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