Ticket swop plan for fans after Kingsmead wash-out:

IN THE wake of the abandoned first match of the Test Series between the Proteas and New Zealand’s Black Caps at Kingsmead this week, the managers of the stadium are taking steps to ensure that its status as a Test cricket venue is not in doubt, and will compensate fans for tickets bought on days when no play was possible.

“It was very disappointing to lose that amount of time in a Test match that cricket fans were really looking forward to,” said Rajesh Behari, acting chief executive of the Dolphins, the cricket franchise that uses Kingsmead as its home ground.

“I was amazed at how patient and understanding our fans were during those lengthy delays, for which we are really grateful.

“We benchmark this stadium by the very best in the world and are determined to ensure that each and every match, and Test matches in particular, are memorable at this venue, which has hosted 42 Tests since the first one against England in 1923.”

Behari pointed out the negative effect that the unusually heavy winter rainfall had had on the ground’s outfield, especially when combined with the late work done on the outfield.

He agreed with Cricket South Africa’s acknowledgement that the Kingsmead ground staff, under Wilson Ngobese, had done everything in their power to deal with the softened outfield.

“We’re already hard at work taking measures to ensure that the condition of the outfield does not affect either international or domestic fixtures in the future,” he said.

The Dolphins and the KZN Cricket Union have confirmed that fans who bought tickets for the days on which no play was possible during the Test will be able to exchange them for tickets to any domestic match in Durban by making contact with the union’s ticketing office at 031 335 4285 or 031 335 4200 during office hours.