NEWCASTLE City Council will allow No.1 Sportsground’s lights to be switched on for Newcastle district cricket’s remaining Twenty20 matches after a “miscommunication” was resolved on Friday.
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On Thursday afternoon, just hours before the third twilight T20 match between Cardiff-Boolaroo and Newcastle City began, the Newcastle District Cricket Association were told by council they were unable to use the lights at the Cooks Hill venue because they failed to meet Cricket Australia regulations for night games.
That left the match to be played in dim conditions due to the approaching storm.
In Tuesday’s opening game between University and Belmont, the lights were used in the second innings when conditions became overcast. Lights were not required in game two on Wednesday between Merewether and Charlestown.
Twilight T20 games begin at 5pm with a pink ball and are generally finished around 8pm before sunset.
NDCA chairman Paul Marjoribanks spoke with council officials on Friday to explain the lights were not being used as the primary source of light, but to merely enhance the conditions.
The council then agreed to allow the use of the lights for the remaining three T20 games to be played from next Tuesday to Thursday.
“Owing to a miscommunication, Thursday's game was thought to be a T20 night match,” a council spokesman said. “Night matches are not possible at this sportsground as the floodlights do not meet the recommended lighting standards for night cricket matches.
“Council officers have since resolved the matter with the NDCA. Cricket Australia currently relies on recommended minimal floodlighting guidelines established for baseball and softball. These levels are very high and far exceed the lux levels of any council sportsground.”
Marjoribanks said he was relieved the misunderstanding had been cleared to allow the twilight T20 round to continue.
“I rang this morning to explain the nature of our matches and that they weren’t night matches and perhaps the CA guidelines they were using weren’t appropriate,” Marjoribanks said on Friday.
“We went through how our matches were run and they agreed the lights could be used. So it was a pleasing outcome.”
Council’s back flip came too late for Cardiff, who batted second in the deteriorating light on Thursday.
Cardiff eventually lost the match to City on the Duckworth-Lewis method, after lightning forced the match to be abandoned with 25 balls remaining. At the time the CBs were 7-95 chasing City’s 142.
“It would have been best to call the game off,” CBs captain Jonty Durrheim said. “The umpires tried their best to keep the game going, but it probably was unfit to play.”
Meanwhile, round 10 of Newcastle district cricket is expected to be completely washed out on Saturday.
