Lord's pitch affected by fungal infection

The pitch of the Home of Cricket, Lord Cricket Ground has been affected by a fungal infection known as ‘fairy rings’ which has appeared to have taken root on the square. The third Test match between England and West Indies is underway at the venue. The series is locked at 1-1 and the decider is turning out to be one heck of a game.

The fungal infection has worried the visitors whereas as the locals believe that this is a natural phenomenon at this time of the year. West Indies are on the cusp of history and they would not want any such thing to distract them from their goal. They beat the hosts England against all odds by chasing 321 on the final day in the second Test to level the series.

The fairy rings have caused unusual markings on the pitch near the good length area of the pavilion end. However, the groundsmen were confident that the marks won’t have any impact on the play. “It is a natural phenomenon and is not expected to have any impact on play,” said a spokesman for Marylebone Cricket Club the owner of Lord’s. The spectators also believed that it is a common sight on the squares during this time of the year.

Hope it does not distract our batsmen

While the groundsmen have been denying any impact of the patches created on the pitch, Windies captain Jason Holder looked worried and hoped that it doesn’t prove to be a distraction for the batsmen. The concern from the skipper is understandable as his team is in a position from where they could go on to win the series historically.

“I saw it from around where the (limited-overs) 30-yard circle would be and was wondering what it was and if it would have any effect. Only time will tell … but we hope it doesn’t (prove a distraction) and the guys can put it aside,” West Indies captain Jason Holder told reporters at Lord’s ahead of the game on Wednesday.

“You’re pretty much looking at the bowler’s hand, and that’s a lot higher than where the patch is – so I hope the guys can focus on the bowler’s arm, and not the pitch,” Holder further added. Most of the players in the current squad are playing at the ‘Mecca of Cricket’ for the first time. Hence they consulted the former left arm pacer Paul Hutchison regarding the experience of playing at Lord’s and understood the dynamics of the ground.

“We’ve tried to get as much information as possible coming into this game.e’ve got the luxury of having an outsider, Paul Hutchison give us some tips about how to bowl here at Lord’s. There’s a lot of talk about the slope and such and we’ve studied it and had a chance to formulate some plans about how we go it,” the 25-year-old added.

He also believed that his team would have to adjust to whatever conditions are on offer. “But cricket is always played on the day. You may be faced with different dilemmas and you just have to adjust and cope with it. That’s the nature of professional sport,” he concluded.