West Indies venues given green light in safety checks

Safety checks have been carried out at the two grounds that have built temporary stands for the one-day series against West Indies following an incident at Durham on Saturday that left a spectator with a broken leg.

Engineers carried out safety checks yesterday on temporary stands at Old Trafford, the venue for the first match today, and Bristol, where England play West Indies on Sunday. The other grounds, Trent Bridge, the Oval and the Ageas Bowl, do not have temporary structures.

All stands have been passed safe for the two matches. “The temporary stand at Old Trafford is installed each season, with the timing dependent on when major fixtures are hosted,” said Lancashire in a statement. “In 2017, it was installed at the start of July ahead of the Natwest T20 Blast fixture against Yorkshire and remained in place for the fourth Test and then the opening ODI between England and the West Indies.

“The stand is supplied by a different organisation to the one at Durham, and the stand’s usage is underpinned by a detailed and comprehensive inspection process. Before all games that it is used for, the supplier carries out a detailed inspection followed by our own in-house review, and the process is completed by an independent third-party structural engineering consultant inspection.”

Durham have launched an inquiry after part of the stand gave way and a woman fell through the hole, breaking a leg. Two other spectators were injured. The stand had been inspected the week before and passed safe. The stand will be closed for the match against Sussex, starting today.