The Antigua Recreation Ground will host a replacement Test between West Indies and England on Sunday, as an unsuitable outfield forced the abandonment of play on the opening day of the second Test yesterday at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.

The Antigua Recreation Ground hosted the last of its 21 Tests three years ago before the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground replaced it ahead of the World Cup in the Caribbean.

sandy run-up

Only 10 balls were possible before Fidel Edwards complained to West Indies captain Chris Gayle and the umpires about his inability to properly negotiate the soft, excessively sandy run-up at the northern end.

Jerome Taylor had already protested at the southern end and changed his line of attack from over to around the wicket after three balls of the first over of the match.

The situation was not helped when a squall of rain swept across the ground about 10 minutes after the start and prompted a delay lasting about 20 minutes.

On resumption, Edwards managed just two deliveries, aborting his run-up no less than three times, before he gave up. This prompted a lengthy discussion between match referee Hurst, West Indies captain Gayle and England captain Andrew Strauss who was batting at the time, and the umpires, Daryl Harper and Tony Hill. The decision was taken to finish early, with England seven without loss.

"The decision to call off play for the day was taken by the on-field umpires Tony Hill and Daryl Harper in consultation with both captains because it was clear the ground conditions, especially the state of the bowlers' run-ups, were unfit and potentially dangerous," Hurst said.

Management officials on both sides disclosed that they had made official protests to officials on the eve of the match. Both teams raised an alarm about the excessively sandy nature of the outfield at the ground, which was constructed three years ago at a cost of US$20 million with assistance from the Chinese Government ahead of the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean.

significant injuries

Omar Khan, manager of the West Indies team, said team physiotherapist C. J. Clark emailed West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) officials and complained that the outfield might lead to players suffering significant injuries.

Hugh Morris, England's director of cricket, said he wrote Hurst overnight and expressed grave concerns about the outfield, so he was not totally surprised by what unfolded.

For a venue that bears the name of a man that personified the greatness of the game, the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground outfield has been a source of major disappointment for the Antigua and Barbuda authorities, and major embarra**ment for the West Indies officials in the three years of its existence.

Each year, the government of Antigua and Barbuda has promised to rectify the turf, and each year, WICB officials have turned up, holding their breath, wondering what they should expect.