IN A NEW ROLE: With rain playing spoilsport Irfan Pathan decided to enjoy a ride in the helicopter. — Photo: V. Ganesan

GUWAHATI: Cricket took a back seat on a day of unfortunate happenings at the Nehru Stadium here on Sunday when the fifth one-dayer between India and England was abandoned without a ball being bowled, prompting riots in the stands.

Rain over the past few days had rendered the outfield slushy even though the pitch remained well protected. The organisers had obviously failed to reckon with nature as more rain on Saturday night added to their woes.

Unplayable conditions

The umpires — Rudi Koertzen and A.V. Jayaprakash — took the decision to abandon the game due to ``unplayable'' conditions following four inspections and consultations with the two captains Virender Sehwag and Andrew Flintoff.

The spectators who had filled up the stands since early morning grew restless once they realised that chances of even a reduced match seemed remote despite the organisers making every effort possible to get the field match fit.

A super sopper was pressed into service and later a chopper too was employed to dry the outfield. M.S. Dhoni and Irfan Pathan enjoyed a ride in the helicopter, eliciting cheers in the stands. Later, the crowd cheered again when a tear gas shell landed outside the venue as police stepped in to control some unruly spectators.

Missiles flew in from all directions and bonfires were lit at a few spots as trouble spread rapidly.

Giving vent to their ire

Policemen became the target of the frustrated spectators, who also damaged four television cameras, including the hawk-eye, which was smashed in a matter of seconds.

Two policemen were injured and two miscreants were taken into custody for damaging public property. The district commissioner Avinash Joshi termed the incident ``unfortunate'' and gave credit to the policemen for handling the situation well.

"The frustration was obvious because the spectators had waited since morning. They were expecting to see some action but once they realised the match had been abandoned, some of them indulged in pelting stones and bottles. It was controlled quickly by the police and we ensured the trouble did not last long by taking effective measures," said Mr. Joshi.

Early trouble

Apprehensions regarding the match had surfaced following the announcement of the dates by the BCCI's Tour and Fixtures Committee four months ago. The Assam Cricket Association had expressed its reservations but the dates remained unchanged. The ACA was also not willing to forgo the opportunity of staging an international match. It had last staged a match here in 2003 when Australia played New Zealand in a tri-series.

The ACA, according to secretary Bikash Baruah, had insured the match but lack of proper infrastructure prevented the host from getting the ground fit even for a Twenty20 match that would have provided the crowd some entertainment.

The players were whisked away amidst tight security and now travel to Jamshedpur for the next encounter on April 12.

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