With South African cricket reeling from the postponement of the inaugural edition of the T20 Global League yesterday and whispers of a crisis in the country’s game, there was at least one reassurance some things still work. The drainage system at Kingsmead was put to the test, following severe flooding in Durban, and the ground passed with flying colours.
A video from Kingsmead on Tuesday afternoon showed an outfield which resembled more like a lake. Readings from the ground record more than 100ml of rain in a few hours.
By Wednesday morning, the storm had abated, the water completely drained and the outfield was in pristine condition.
This is in stark contrast to the situation at Kingsmead little over a year ago. In August last year, three out of five days of a Test against New Zealand could not be played after a storm on the second evening caused a waterlogged outfield that did not dry despite bright sunshine. At the time, the ground had been re-scarified and was used earlier than it should have been. Since then, Kingsmead has hosted both international and domestic cricket without incident.
Despite the quick drainage, Kingsmead will not have many opportunities to show that off this summer. It will host only two international games – an ODI against India in February and a Test against Australia in March.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo