Phil Cooper: Intrigue of cricketing Watergate at Napier's McLean Park

TOO WET: Umpires ruled the ground was too wet at Napier's McLean Park for the Black Caps to play Australia in the second Chappell-Hadlee match.

Its great for me this time of year to get away from an English winter with its cold and rain and travel to Hawke's Bay. Its a great area where I can play some golf and watch cricket.

In recent days my own golf course back home has been flooded. At the same time Nottinghamshire have supplied images of their cricketers in preseason training, including fielding practices on the outfield at Trent Bridge. Directives from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have led to the installation of top-class draining so that even in the variable summer weather little time is often lost.

I have been coming to New Zealand for some time, often being involved in coaching, even in Hawke's Bay. Like many I bought my ticket for Thursday's match and arrived at McLean Park. My memories of the venue aren't the best - getting out sweeping to Stu Duff.

Unfortunately they didn't get any better.

There seem to be conflicting ideas about even whether there should or should not have been play.

One thing I miss while away is my beloved Nottingham Panthers ice-hockey team. Their coach last week regretted the modern-day player who is at times loath to play, when having a niggle - not like the old school. Jeremy Coney, with Brian Waddle, produced a sometimes amusing and sometimes anguishing video, with the implication that it was perhaps likewise the "precious" modern cricketer.

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson and Australian captain Aaron Finch, on the other hand, complained that areas of the outfield were so wet it was dangerous.

Reference has been made to umpires not bowing to public pressure, did they bow to player pressure? Spectators for sure were let down. I, like Derek Stirling, played on in damp summers in Scotland - not sure if any of these cricketers would want to play there. I cannot remember many fatalities, although hypothermia came into play.

There have been rain-abandoned matches at McLean Park in recent history. One wonders what actions were taken as a result.

At Trent Bridge a docile pitch v India produced a dull draw and dull cricket. There was an uproar and immediately after this one match future matches at the venue were in question. An inquiry was held and steps were taken to prevent a repeat.

This I believe is the third cancellation in six one-day matches as a result of rain, one of these being in similar circumstances.

I would suggest both the Napier City Council and the New Zealand Cricket Board should have looked into previous cancellations at the time. They should have examined reasons for these cancellations and if it was possible to remedy the problems. Action should have been taken to reduce the possibility of this year's fiasco.

Some good things have been done with cricket grounds in New Zealand and it's not as if the technological knowledge is not there.

What does seem certain is that areas were wet, while nearby Nelson Park was very dry. Some say extra watering had been decreed during a very dry hot spell to improve the outfield. The facts and reasons for Thursday's happenings will hopefully float to the surface. An immediate inquiry will hopefully provide answers to the intrigue of this Watergate.

Phil Cooper is a cricket coach.