Play suspended as hover cover breaks down on outfield on first day of season

06 April 2023 , 12:25

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The County Championship clash between Glamorgan and Gloucestershire was delayed after the hover cover broke down (Image: YouTube/Glamorgan Cricket TV)

Cricket fans have been left furious after the hover cover broke down on the outfield in Cardiff on day one of the new County Championship season.

After only getting four balls of action before rain forced play to be stopped in the clash between Glamorgan and Gloucestershire, ground staff rushed on with the covers. However, there was a "mechanical problem" with the main hover cover just as they were about to cover the playing strip.

As a result, they struggled to get cover in place as the rain hammered down on the outfield. "It's not looking as though it's moving as freely as it should do that cover," one of the commentators for BBC Radio Wales noted.

"It seems to be inflated on the left hand side, but on the right hand side it's sitting pretty much on the floor," a second commentator added. "Now it seems to have died completely.

"I have no idea how you shift a hover cover when it's not hovering, that's kind of the point of it."

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And those words proved prophetic as once the bad weather eventually relented, a planned restart at 12pm was scrapped because of the hover cover breaking down.

"Unfortunately, due to a mechanical problem with the hover cover, there will be no play before lunch," Glamorgan informed fans on social media.

While the cover was eventually dragged off the pitch by the intrepid ground staff, fans were far from amused by the saga. "Very embarrassing, what a farcical first morning of the season," fumed one.

"Early lunch taken at Glamorgan because although its stopped raining, the hover cover is stuck. ****'* sake," wrote another. "I genuinely give up," added a third.

Matthew Cooper