Cricket Scotland has announced that the Adam & Company ODI between Scotland and England, due to be held at the Citylets Grange on Sunday 12th of August, has been cancelled.
The recent flooding at the ground, following the Water of Leith bursting its banks, left over a third of the ground under water; in some areas over five feet deep. Forty metres of main wall around the ground were destroyed by the water.
The current flood prevention works in the Stockbridge area have adversely affected the water table at the Grange, leaving many parts of the ground flooded for the first time ever. Following more heavy rain and flooding yesterday, and with an unsettled forecast for the next two weeks, the Grange Club and Cricket Scotland cannot be certain that the ground will either be playable on the day or most importantly from a safety point of view, dry enough to take the significant infrastructure involved in constructing the arena for the game.
Although the game is still 3 weeks away, the 3,200 temporary seats and large marquees were to be erected from 7 to 10 days beforehand. There is no guarantee this could be achieved without significant and lasting damage to the ground.
Cricket Scotland and the ECB have together spent considerable time looking at alternative options to stage the game, but at such short notice there were none found that were either practical or achievable.
Although this decision is hugely disappointing for the many cricket supporters who have bought tickets, our valued partner in Adam & Company, our corporate guests and our broadcast partner SKY, Cricket Scotland have been left with no other viable option than to cancel the match before committing to the substantial task of building the international venue.
Commenting on the decision Roddy Smith, Cricket Scotland Chief Executive stated, "This is a hugely frustrating decision that Cricket Scotland have had to make, but we could not justifiably take the risk of building on a ground so saturated from a major flood and six weeks of consistent rain. The build is only two weeks away and with an unsettled forecast for the remainder of July we have had to make a decision based on the facts presented to us and the professional advice we have taken. We have been faced with an unprecedented and sustained period of rain that has, unfortunately, taken the season�s biggest game from us. "
"All ticket holders will be refunded in full by our ticketing partner, Ticket Soup, and we will be contacting everyone who has purchased a ticket with free offers to attend matches next season. I am very grateful for the support and understanding of all our key partners. Everyone is very disappointed but understands the exceptional circumstances we are faced with."
David Collier, the ECB Chief Executive stated, �ECB shares Cricket Scotland's disappointment that the flooding has forced the ODI to be cancelled this year. Cricket Scotland has made great progress in recent years and the ODIs between Scotland and England provide a wonderful opportunity to promote the game and to bring new supporters to cricket. We look forward to returning to Scotland in future years and wish our friends at Cricket Scotland every success in the future. �
Gordon Tolland, Secretary of the Grange Club commented. �To lose the fixture of the year in these circumstances is bitterly disappointing for everyone involved. Unfortunately, the ground suffered unprecedented flooding after the Water of Leith burst its banks just over a week ago and, despite a huge effort, it has just not been possible to reduce ground moisture levels to an acceptable standard within the required timescale.�