A West Indies Championship match between Trinidad & Tobago and Leeward Islands was abandoned and declared a draw after serious concerns over an unsafe pitch, following an on-field incident that left a player hospitalised. The four-day fixture at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium was called off on Tuesday morning after umpires ruled the surface too dangerous to continue, prioritizing player safety amid increasingly unpredictable behavior from the pitch.The decision came after a worrying moment during Leeward Islands’ second innings when Jeremiah Lewis was struck on the helmet by a sharply rising delivery from Trinidad & Tobago pacer Jayden Seales. The ball lifted unexpectedly from a length, especially after the previous delivery had stayed low.Louis collapsed immediately after being hit, dropping his bat before reacting in frustration. He was attended to by medical staff on the field and later stretchered off to a hospital for further evaluation. Cricket West Indies (CWI) later confirmed that he was in a stable condition. At the time of the incident, Leeward Islands were 140/7, holding a narrow lead.
Match Called Off Over Safety Concerns
Play was halted for a prolonged period before match officials decided to abandon the game.In an official statement, CWI said: “Following discussions with the curator, it was determined that the pitch could not be safely repaired without creating an unfair advantage and was therefore deemed unfit to resume, resulting in the match being abandoned as a draw.”The governing body added, “Both teams will be awarded points earned up until the abandonment of the contest in accordance with the championship’s playing conditions.”CWI further elaborated on the sequence of events leading to the abandonment, stating, “Play was halted in the first session of the third day after the pitch began to exhibit unpredictable and uneven behavior, raising serious concerns for player safety. During this period, Leeward Islands player Jeremiah Louis was struck while batting. He was immediately attended to by medical personnel and subsequently transported to hospital to be evaluated for a possible concussion and is reported to be in stable. conditions.“
Coaches Raise Concerns Over Pitch
Leeward Islands coach Wilden Cornwall expressed concern over the incident and the pitch conditions, saying, “He’s in the hospital at the moment. I just hope that everything goes well for him and (there is) no really serious damage. It was really devastating to see exactly what took place this morning.”Cornwall also questioned the preparation of the surface. “To me, it wasn’t given the preparation of a four-day wicket, hence we see so many players get damaged. The pitch has been misbehaving throughout the entire three days.”Trinidad & Tobago coach Rayad Emrit echoed similar sentiments, adding, “To be blatantly honest, the bounce has been inconsistent throughout the two-and-a-half days. For me, if that’s the decision, they should have made it on day one.”
Seales’ Effort Cut Short
Jayden Seales had been the standout performer, claiming impressive figures of 7/34 before the match was abandoned. However, he was denied the opportunity to push for a rare ten-wicket haul due to the early end to the game.Cricket West Indies assured that steps will be taken to ensure better pitch conditions in upcoming matches at the venue, including the tournament final. The board clarified that the surface used for this match was different from others at the venue and confirmed that all necessary resources would be deployed to prepare a safe and competitive wicket going forward.
