PITCH NOT PERFECT

GCA TO FOLLOW UP SPRINKLER SLIP:

THE Geelong Cricket Association will not officially investigate the circumstances behind the drenched wicket at Grovedale on Saturday.

But it will make contact with the relevant parties to make sure incidents of its nature do not happen again.

The sprinklers at Burdoo Reserve came on Thursday night, soaking the wicket less than two days before the Tigers hosted East Belmont.

They were unable to fully dry the deck out in time and the Lions had to bat on a wicket that Tigers coach Barry Tsitas conceded “assisted the bowlers”.

Chasing 221 for victory, East Belmont was bowled out for 191 in 70.1 overs in a match that could ultimately shape the top four.

GCA president Barry McFarlane said no official complaint had been made about the Grovedale wicket, but that wouldn’t stop the competition making inquiries.

“I think I’ll get my grounds chairman to check it out and see what’s going on, just to clarify what’s happening and to see what’s being done to rectify the situation to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” McFarlane said. “It’s something we’d like to follow through and find out what’s happened.”

East Belmont had until Monday night to lodge a formal complaint if it felt aggrieved by the condition of the pitch.

Tsitas said after the game his club had “tried everything we could to come up with a good wicket for East to bat on”.

“Unfortunately, it was a bowler-assisting wicket for the first two hours, we had the same thing happen to us in the last round against South Barwon, last season,” Tsitas said.