Yorkshire admission

[LeedsExile]

I attended a member's forum at Headingley on Wednesday. The chief executive Mark Arthur was asked about the circumstances surrounding the abandoned match v Essex. He was very candid in his reply and said that there had been underinvestment in the outfield as their resources were stretched with the new building work. He said that the grass had a lot of thatch in it and that had prevented proper drainage. Since the abandonment an ECB pitch advisor has visited and some deep aeration has taken place. The whole outfield is to be dug up and replaced at the end of next season after all the building work has been completed. This is of no consolation to Essex but I thought it made a change for someone to admit a mistake.

[Slogger]

Thanks for the update. The ECB don't seem to take such a strong line on this sort of thing as they have in the past over substandard pitches, such as Southend in 1989.

[essexfan548]

Yes, I was thinking that. We lost the championship because of the points deduction - it would be nice to see Yorkshire have a similar deduction.

[nat]

Thanks for the update. The ECB don't seem to take such a strong line on this sort of thing as they have in the past over substandard pitches, such as Southend in 1989.

The two incidents are different, at least that is how the ECB will explain it. Headingley had a poor outfield whilst Southchurch Park had a poor pitch.

[Andy]

Thanks for the update. The ECB don't seem to take such a strong line on this sort of thing as they have in the past over substandard pitches, such as Southend in 1989.

The two incidents are different, at least that is how the ECB will explain it. Headingley had a poor outfield whilst Southchurch Park had a poor pitch.

Yes but fact is that the poor outfield postponed a match which is worse than just a substandard pitch. I am surprised that they've been so candid - probably because they are protected by the ECB chairman and being heavily invested in the club.

[Slogger]

Andy hits the nail on the head. Imagine the furore if this had happened at Colchester.l suspect the ground would have been banned

[IlfordEagle]

With Southend I think a lot of what happened was outside Essex's control at the time, Yorks have no such excuse, I was at that game & though it was a tricky pitch if you stayed in & grafted you got your reward - I seem to remember John Stephenson in our 1st innings & Nasser in our 2nd doing just that, also Yorks batted poorly especially in the 1st innings.