The West Indies Championship match between Trinidad and Tobago and the Leeward Islands was abandoned as a draw on Tuesday, April 21, due to a dangerous pitch at Antigua's Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
The decision to abandon the game was taken by the umpires early on the third morning after Leeward Islands player Jeremiah Louis was struck on the helmet by Test fast bowler Jayden Seales, ESPN Cricinfo reported.
Louis then received medical attention and was stretchered off the ground and taken to the hospital. A lengthy delay followed, with umpires Leslie Reifer and Zahid Bassarath consulting with the ground staff and match referee Johnathan Blades. The umpires then informed captains Justin Greaves and Joshua Da Silva that the match had been abandoned.
As for Louis, he is reported to be in a stable condition, Windies Cricket reported.
Trinidad And Tobago Vs Leeward Islands: What Happened?
A total of 27 wickets fell in the first 147 overs of the four-day fixture, one of only 12 games in a reduced domestic first-class season for the Caribbean teams. The Leeward Islands scored 131 in the first innings. Karima Gore emerged as the top scorer with 57 runs off 90 balls. In response, Trinidad were bowled out for 175 in the first innings.
The Leeward Islands had a lead of 96 runs when the play was halted. Trinidad and Tobago bowler Seales had taken all of the seven wickets in the second innings, as well as three in the first innings. While bowling, one of his deliveries bounced off Louis' bat and struck the Leeward Islands seamer. Louis is seen falling to the ground and even kicking his helmet before he tries to walk off the pitch.
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What West Indies Cricket Said About The Incident
In a statement, the cricket board said that repairing the pitch would have meant an unfair advantage and the play was called off
“Following discussions with the curator, it was determined [by the umpires] that the pitch could not be safely repaired without creating an unfair advantage and was therefore deemed unfit to resume, resulting in the match being abandoned as a draw,” the statement read, adding, “Both teams will be awarded points earned up until the abandonment of the contest in accordance with the championship's playing conditions.”
The statement also added that no matches are scheduled at the Sir Viv Richards Stadium until the West Indies Championship final, which will be held from May 17-20. It confirmed that all necessary resources and expertise will be used to ensure a safe and competitive playing surface for the fixture.
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